We Will All Burn Together
by Shadowolf27
Summary: I am a human from a different world, brought to Middle Earth by remnants from another time. I was not meant to be here and everywhere I turn I'm reminded of how I don't belong. I thought I could find purpose in an ageless world full of dragons and orcs by chasing after Thorin's Company to reclaim a kingdom, but nothing awaits us except fire and death. Fili/OC
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't the hobbit or any of Tolkien's great works.

**~We Will All Burn Together~**

Brown eyes crinkled unpleasantly, sharp and searching, pinning me though I was already trapped in a moving vehicle. My eyes shone brightly with youth and poorly concealed amusement against his stern anger. My dad repeated his question, stern and full of warning.

"Did you get a tattoo?"

"Maybe," I drawled, my smile growing wider.

"Megara?! Did you or did you not get a tattoo?" The boiling anger of his voice and the way he puffed in the driver's seat might have been intimidating but I had seen the display so many times that he looked like nothing more than a child angry about not getting its way. Truth be told, that was probably the case.

I didn't know why this particular spat that paralleled so many others amused me and I knew I was on the road of no return with nothing but a scolding and simmering rant as my reward.

"No," I replied so fatly that, despite not rolling my eyes, one could have imagined me doing so.

I was telling the truth, I hadn't gotten a tattoo, but not because I didn't want one.

"Good. Don't ever get one. The needles are never cleaned and you'll get a disease." My dad didn't look convinced and his tone was a stern command that usually struck me like a blunt bat but after a two weeks of his constant tyranny I finally snapped.

"Oh my god. You flip when I mention ATV-ing, you won't let me ride a bicycle or ski green slopes without a helmet, I can't go into town by myself–"

I could see his rage building but was past the point of no return. He had frayed my last nerve and all I wanted was to go home, not to my parent's new shiny home, but my little apartment back in my home state where I was taking college classes.

"What? Are you going to say next that I could fall going to the bathroom and hit my head, killing myself? Tell me one thing that isn't dangerous."

"Meg. Don't kid around when it comes to your life. You only get one."

"You didn't answer the question." My anger brought my voice a notch higher, full of more readily seething fire than his slowly boiling anger.

The car slowed to a crawl up an icy driveway, cutting its way between tall pines dusted with old snow, a sheer drop of twenty feet on each side. My dad expertly maneuvered his truck so he could pull backwards into the garage and I crossed my arms, waiting for an answer that would probably avoid my question.

When the truck was in park he turned to me, putting his arm possessively over the center consul. I glared with invisible hackles raised.

"Everything is dangerous."

A chorus of halleluiahs chimed in my head. I had been waiting since birth to hear him utter those three words, sadly he couldn't leave it there.

"-and I don't like that you brush me off. You act like your safety isn't important and it's insulting. I'm trying to teach you to be an intelligent human being who will live well into their old age."

I wanted to fling my arms into the air and scream in frustration. It was more insulting that he constantly treated me like a toddler with fragile bones and skull that could crack like an egg at the slightest bump. I was done with the one sided conversation, He would never listen. He disagreed with me on everything and every conversation ended in how I would kill myself doing something that was supposed to be fun. Of course there was a danger to everything, I could kill myself by simply drinking too much water.

The passenger door was flung open and I stormed out, slamming the car door harder than necessary. I paced, waiting for my dad to open the back door, that inside the closed garage, with his keys. The moment it was opened I bolted inside and went to a bench in the mud room and began tying up my hiking boots.

"Where are you going?" He made it sound like I was hiding something behind my back.

I had to get away from him or I was going to go absolutely mad. I didn't want to be in the same building as him, right now the outdoors was be the only suitable escape.

My answer was sharp. "A walk."

"Don't go into the back woods, only go along the road."

I kept my eyes on the laces of my boots, constricting my ankle in one tie at the middle then wrapping the laces around brackets further up to tighten them again and finish the last tie. I shoved on my second boot and did it up the same way, pulling the laces tighter than necessary.

"I'm going in the woods." I growled between the brown hairs hiding my face.

He didn't answer right away and I was tempted to look up but he relented first. "I'd rather you not but take the bear spray if you do."

I wanted to laugh. Fuck the bear spray. It would never fit in my girly pockets anyway; it was like a mosquito spray canister only twenty times bigger with an angry bear sticker growling on the side of it.

"Fine." I ground out to appease him and fiercely wished he would go away.

He did finally turn to go up the stairs that would lead to the main floor but half way up he had leave me with one more command, "Don't forget your phone."

_Fuck you!_ I stamped my booted foot that was tied so tight that my foot tingled. I reached for my purse that had been left on the bench from earlier that day and pulled out my phone and a bulky, but nice set of headphones. I hastily scrolled through the settings and promptly turned on air plane mode feature, disconnecting any and all cellular transmitting capabilities, and jammed the headphone jack into the device. I hated the thing. It made me feel like my dad could watch over my shoulder even when he wasn't there. If the thing didn't have all of my music on it I would have left it rusting in the purse.

I left the house, going through the garage and out a door leading to outside. The cold winter chill was quick to seep through my clothes. I wasn't fond of the cold, especially up here in the middle of the mountains, far away from civilization. It was impossible to call it home since my parents had moved here recently and I had only been visiting for a month.

My boots bit into the loose scree around the hill that took up the back of the house. On my left was a towering wall and on left right was a sloping drop that lead into a small valley. I could see the neighbor's house a half mile away across it, still covered in snow because it faced the south side. Since coming here I had been hiking more than I had my entire lifetime; usually I favored retreating to my computer but lately even that wasn't a safe haven. My dad would come up behind me and ask what I was doing, what I was reading, and would get angry when I closed the laptop saying I didn't want him looking at it over my shoulder. If I took it to my room he would repeatedly pace by my door and poke his head in to repeat the same questions and would get angry when I refused to tell him in detail what I was doing.

It was refreshing to be outside, working my legs across the jagged terrain. The phone I had grabbed was fit snuggly in my jean pocket and the headphones were hanging around my neck silently. For now I was content with stomping on loose, pinkish feldspar and kicking aside chunks of quartz to watch them tumble down the mountain to break up the unnatural silence that came from being deep in the woods.

Not much later my breathing was coming in large gasps since I was nowhere near acclimated to the high elevation. It easily made me breathless and the dry air left me thirsty. I looked up from, my heels digging into the loose gravel, and could see a nearby mountain through the trees. There wasn't anywhere else I could go but in a circle. Despite the house being on a generous amount of acres there were still neighbors on either side and they tended to get angry when people trespassed onto their property.

I slipped on the slick rocks and was able to stay upright by using my arms as balancing wings. When I rounded the second turn of the large hill - through my labored breathing I glared at a bulge on a tree. I kicked it, causing bark to fly as the camouflaged motion camera twisted to face the other side. It was meant to capture passing wildlife but I didn't want to be recorded on it. It was another thing for my dad to see where I had been and what I had done.

I stomped a block of ice in half that was refreeze snow. I was sick of this white, cold wet stuff too. I didn't like the way it crunched under my feet in a way like nails on chalkboard and it made it impossible to see where I was setting my foot. Since my arrival it hadn't snowed, the last time I had seen a snowfall was maybe six years ago on some vacation. Nothing about me was conditioned to this climate when I was used to the winter low being no less than 40 degrees except on rare occasions and it rained instead of snowed.

The last turn of the hill came and I crashed through the woods like an elephant, stepping on fallen trees and snapping their branches off and whacking bushes out of my way, often breaking them with the rough treatment. I walked ten more minutes, fifteen more minutes, the other side of the house should have been in sight by now. The sharp hill was still on my left and the woods curved out from under me as before but I started to wonder if I had taken a wrong turn. It wouldn't be a stretch since I wasn't familiar with the woods, but I kept going, knowing that if I followed the curve of the hill there was no way I could miss the house.

_Scuffle. Slip._

I paused. The ground had changed. It wasn't loose and bumpy but hard and solid. Curiously, I scrapped at the layer of snow and bits of sticks with my toe and saw a slab of stone. It was odd looking, like an old floor with strange symbols blasted into it. I followed the lines of the rock with my eyes and saw it made a wide circle within which I stood. It was interesting, old and weathered looking. Maybe I would ask about the previous owners. I shrugged my jacket higher and kept walking.

I emerged on the other side of the stone circle and was met with a blast of hot air and the snow started to disappear the further I walked, turning from a brown, frostbitten slush to healthy rolling hills. Even the trees look a little different. I tried to spy the far mountain and it was much further than it should have been. It looked miles and miles away, I could barely see its peak over the trees. I turned to look behind from where I had come and saw a small hill that was nothing like the one I had been following and it had disintegrated on one side, the one I stood on where the house should have been. In the distance I saw more far away mountains, mountains that I should have been right in the middle of 3,000ft up from the base.

I was frozen with my mouth agape, a sense of being lost that stretched beyond the physical taking over. The air here was warm as if it were late spring, the trees no longer looked like the kind that would grow in the high mountains. They were too full and lush like oaks instead of scraggly pine trees.

Had I teleported to the bottom of the mountain? None of it made sense. I shook my head as if clearing it of stars decided to keep walking the way I was originally going. If I was lucky I would come across someone's backyard or a parking lot. At the base of the mountain was a busy city, would be hard to miss. What unnerved me was the silence. Up in the mountains it was normal but down here I should be the rushing of highways and screeching of frequent air traffic. I don't know how long I walked through the woods, hoping to come across _something_ when I stopped walking and took my pick from dozens of fallen trees and sat down with a thump. My breath came sharp and ragged and a small amount of sweat had started to collect on my forehead.

Now that I wasn't moving my tingling foot itched as it had nearly fallen asleep. I redid the lacing so it wasn't cutting off the circulation and stretched out my legs. The sun was going down and I was undoubtedly lost. I fingered the phone in my pocket but didn't want to resort to calling my parents and have to explain what I couldn't understand myself. If I sat there for a minute and regained my breath it might make it easier to remember which way I needed to go. The only problem was nothing looked remotely familiar and the house wouldn't be marked on any GPS.

It was starting to cool off though the temperature was still leagues warmer than it had been. The warmth the sun had provided was slinking away with it. The days were short up in the mountains and the nights long, at least this one didn't seem like it would be cold. I pulled out my phone, cussing about my luck. It wouldn't be worth not talking to my dad just to sit out in the middle of nowhere for the rest of the night. After turning off airplane mode I dialed the house only to be met with an immediate error message. I called again and it didn't ring even once. There was no signal.

"This is just great," I muttered and curled into my seat, tucking my arms between my legs and resting my forehead on my knees.

Once it became completely dark it would be impossible to find my way back and I would just get more lost. A ghost of my dad's voice floated through my head. '_You'll get eaten by animals'_.

I kicked the dirt, annoyed his words could invade my thoughts. No animal was going to eat me. The chances were zero to none. The bears were hibernating and there was a million in one chance a cougar would suddenly pounce. Even if they did, there would be nothing I could do until the moment came.

_Snort, rustle_.

I sat straightened, swearing I had heard something move.

_Whinny, clop._

That was a _horse_, a fairly common thing to own in the mountains, which meant there was someone nearby. I stood and with a triumphant grin and made my way toward the sound. There was more than one. It was fully dark now save for a small sliver of light. Normally it didn't bother me but right now I was cursing the abnormally short days in the mountains which were even shorter at the base where the stone monoliths could block out the rays. I clamored through the woods that showed no sign of use or travel, the weeds had grown thick and there was no path to speak of, not even ones made by deer. The closer I got the more stomping hooves over grass and dirt and soft snorting and chewing I could hear.

I stumbled upon black silhouettes of horses, short and stalky. I counted at least five in my line of sight. There were a lot of them, almost a small herd. It was odd that I hadn't come upon a fence to mark the property that keep them contained.

There had to be a house nearby which meant there was probably reception. I reached into my pocket and gripped the square phone resting there when my arms were yanked back into a tight grip and I'm not ashamed to say I screeched like a little girl when my head was thrown back and a blade pressed against the front of my throat.

"You are quite possibly the worst burglar to have the unfortunate mind to cross path with us," A male voice full of humor whispered below my ear. He were so close I could feel his warm breath against my neck and smell a strong mix of sweat and campfire smoke.

"I could hear them coming a mile away. Orcs are quieter when they trek through the woods." A second voice joined in.

I was frozen solid with the only thought going through my head: _shit I fucked up._ They might be a crazy survivalist group camping out.

"What shall we do with our new found burglar? It doesn't smell quite foul enough to be an orc." The man behind me questioned, sniffing as if my scent would tell him what I was.

"I'm not a burglar," I choked out against the blade that bobbed against my throat.

"No? Then what were you to do with our ponies if I may ask."

I told him nothing but the truth and hoped they didn't take it to mean I was alone and vulnerable - which was exactly what I was at the moment. "I heard horses and thought people would be nearby. I'm lost so I followed the noise."

"Do you hear that? Lost they say." the man I could hear but not see somewhere in front of me stated and his tone let on he was having too much fun at my expense.

It was unimaginable how dark it could be outside with no city lights and tall trees that blocked out stars and the new moon. I could barely see my hand in front of my face now that the sun was completely down. I strained to find the speaker and finally caught a silhouette but only because they came closer while lowering something in their grip. They were short and stocky, I could see their outline better out of the corner of my eye than straight on.

"Where are you lost from?" The one behind me asked smugly, keeping up a quick banter between him and the other guy who called him brother.

"My parent's house." I probably should have made something up but nothing was coming at the spur of the moment.

"No one lives around here, not anymore. Kili, give me a piece of rope."

The guy in front tossed something that the one behind me caught with the hand that had been holding a blade to my throat. I gasped for breath, glad for the cold metal to be gone. The man behind me bound my fisted hands with the rope, making a thick knot with the scratchy material.

"Is that really necessary?" The last thing I wanted was to be incapacitated.

"It's just a precaution. Your wrists are unnaturally slim. You wouldn't happen to be an elf?"

"What?" I balked at the strange question.

"Sounds like an elf," Kili snarked.

"Come, elf." The guy at my back shoved me forward and I bit back a curse.

"Hold on." Kili sounded panicked and I was stopped by the brother.

"Something isn't right about the ponies." Kili stumbled away and started murmuring to himself then came back. "We may have a _slight_ problem. Two of them are missing."

The brother holding me groaned. "If our burglar hadn't been so loud to begin with I would believe they had taken them."

"I don't think it was this guy either." Kili agreed.

"Who else are you with?" The brother questioned hotly. "Tell me where they are and I may let you live."

"No one," I was started to get annoyed. "I said I was lost, meaning I'm alone. I didn't even start out with anyone."

The brother's grip became uncomfortably tight.

"Jesus fuck I'm telling the truth." He grip slackened suddenly as if surprised by my choice of words. I wrenched away but was grabbed back quickly.

"What's the matter? Wait, is there someone else there? Who's that?" A new voice joined the conversation, it was male but smaller sounding and more uncertain the two I had been dealing with.

"This, dear Bilbo, is a burglar worse than even you."

_Bilbo?_

"We appear to be two ponies short. There were sixteen, now there are fourteen." Kili said a bit strangled.

"Our burglar here won't tell us where his friends have taken them." The brother at my back sneered.

"Oh my god." I growled at him in exasperation. "I don't have any."

"Look there. I see a light." Kili whispered and crept at a crouch into the darkness.

The brother pushed me forward and down to my knees, none too gently, near Kili. Bilbo followed close behind, carrying two sloshing bowls of…something. It smelled pretty good, like a vegetable soup, and it made my stomach roll with sudden hunger.

"Those must be our new burglar's friends." Kili said smugly and glanced at his brother who I could only assume smiled back before shoving me forward which was over a large fallen log that had to be half dragged over thanks to my useless hands. Whoever was camping there wouldn't know me; that would have to be proof enough to these numbskulls that I didn't take their precious horses.

Far too soon I was shoved to the ground again and was about to snap at the brother for manhandling me. "I-" a dirty hand covered my mouth which I licked in annoyance. The brother made a small sound of disgust and withdrew his hand on reflex. God that had tasted _disgusting._ I tried to spit away the taste of dirt and sweat but it wasn't rubbing off easily. Remind me never to lick a strangers hand again.

I was about to continue my coming rant when the earth shook and the loud neighing of horses drew my attention to the left, between the trees. My eyes widened at what was possibly a fifteen foot humanoid _thing_. It was gray and stalky with no defining features other than it was big and elephant like. It was lit vaguely by a massive fire it walked towards. On either side of it, as if it were carrying logs under either arm, were two small horses, the ponies that had gone missing.

"Mutton yesterday, mutton today, and blimey, if it don't look like mutton again tomorrow!" The troll grumbled.

"They have Minty and Myrtle." Bilbo whispered with distress.

"It looks like I'll have to apologize to our would be Burglar," The brother said. This close I was able to see some features of his face thanks to the far off, but large bonfire. Unabashedly, the first thing that ran through my head was _hot damn._I didn't want to stare and was glad when Kili pushed Bilbo forward. "Well, looks like it's time to earn your keep, master burglar."

I was untied and I rubbed my freed hands that were tingling from the tight bounds.

"What?" Bilbo asked and turned around in a confused circle.

I also twisted around, highly aware the two brothers had quietly and almost magically disappeared. I looked at Bilbo whose scared face accompanied my surprise.

"We'll, I might as well help you since you guys seem to think I took the horses." I could see a small twitch of a smile from him. Bilbo looked about as much of a burglar as I did.

Bilbo moved first, stooping at a crouch. He was incredibly short and I wondered if he was midget, but his proportions didn't look off like they usually would when someone had the gene. I was curious as to why everyone seemed to be getting shorter and shorter, or had I grown?

My useless musing stopped when we reached the ponies. They were barricaded behind a haphazardly made up fence built from beams that looked like they had been pounded into the ground instead of hammered, and a thick, gnarly rope was strung between them to keep the ponies contained. Bilbo was almost crawling on his belly he was so low to the ground and from my position my knees were nearly up to my ears. On the other side of the rearing ponies I could see two more trolls sitting around the bonfire, they were cooking something that smelled particularly foul. But strangest of all, they talked.

"Oi, no you don't." A troll wearing a dirty brown apron spat and grabbed the nose of another with crossed eyes.

Bilbo struggled with the giant knots while I was mesmerized by the strange things.

The crossed eyed one was snotting up a storm and a more brutish one was drinking from a giant wooden cup, glaring at the cross-eyed and aproned trolls in turn.

"I'm starving, are we going to get these cooked tonight or what?" The troll on the far side holding a massive knife growled. It was the same one that had taken the ponies.

"Shut your cake hole. You'll eat what I give ya." The apron troll shook a large wooden ladle then dropped it into a cauldron to stir its gassy smelling contents.

The cross-eyed troll took a rag off its side to use as a tissue and I saw a menacing looking sword. It was crudely made but _big._ Next to me Bilbo tapped my arm and pointed to the weapon then made a sawing motion at the rope. My eyes lit up and I nodded. We would cut the rope with its sword.

It probably should have registered how dangerous of an idea it would be, to sneak up and steal from something three times my size, but it didn't. Bilbo was the first to crawl forward, leaving me with the ponies. I started where he left off, trying to untie the ropes in case I got lucky before he get sat on, or accidentally thrown into the fire.

"How come he's the cook?! Everything tastes the same. Everything tastes like chicken." The knife grumbling troll huffed.

The cross-eyed troll laughed. "Everything tastes like chicken, except the chicken."

"I'm just saying, a little appreciation would be nice. Thank you very much Bert, nice stew Bert. How hard is that?" The cooking troll went on and I was surprised the thing had such a plain, human sounding name.

"There! That's mine." The apron troll hit the cross-eyed one with enough force to shove him so he was teetering backwards. It held the ladle up out of the cauldron and sniffed it. "That is beautifully balanced that is."

My tugging was just as useless as Bilbo's despite the different angles I tried to tug from. I was close to gnawing on the damn thing when I heard a squeal from one of the trolls and cringed at the site of Bilbo being held in the cross-eyed, allergy addled troll's hand, covered in its snot.

"Look wha' came out ah me ooter! It's got arms and legs and everything!" The cross-eyed troll said in a panic.

"What is it?" The knife holding one asked.

"I don't know but I don't like the way it moves around."

Bilbo was hurled to the ground

"What are you then? An oversized squirrel?" The troll with the knife thrust its weapon at a scrambling Bilbo

"I'm a burglar-ah-a hobbit."

"Hobbit?" I squeaked. The only hobbits I knew were in the lord of the rings movies.

"A burglar-hobbit?" The cross-eyed one asked.

"I don' care what it is. I saw we cook em'." The knife wielding troll grabbed Bilbo by his coat and lifted him into the air over the bubbling cauldron.

"I say we make 'em squeal." The cross-eyed troll laughed gleefully.

Watching a terrified Bilbo a wash of "_Oh, crap. They're really going to eat him,"_ Went through my mind. Not knowing what else to do I picked up a rock and hurled it at the trolls, hitting the closest one in the leg.

"Oi! There's another Burglar-hobbit over there!"

_Shit fuck why did I do that?_ The apron wearing one was coming after me. I ducked and rolled through the leaves, avoiding his reach, but I wasn't quick enough to escape his second grab and I was wrapped up in his massive hand. The grip was crushing and I gasped at the tight squeeze the troll gave me, Its hot, leathery skin felt way too real.

I squirmed and thrashed as much as I could manage. "Put me down fastso!" I wailed, and it probably wasn't too intelligent of a thing to say.

"What was that?" It squeezed harder. "I 'don like food that talk back."

I wheezed and slowed my struggling to focus on gasping for breath.

"Looks like we won't go too hungry. Cook 'em both." I was held over the pot next to Bilbo and we shared a terrified look. He gulped.

A whistle of wind made me rip my eyes from Bilbo's and not a second later an arrow embedded itself in the troll holding the hobbit then the one holding me. Both brutes screamed and dropped us, uncomfortably I might add. I hit a rock somewhere on my lower back that sent shooting pain up my spine. A war cry erupted from the woods and several shouts roared over the trolls squealing and an army of small people flew out of the trees, brandishing swords and axes. I rolled out of the way, trying to avoid a flurry of troll arms as thick as young tree trunks and prayed Bilbo's and I's saviors weren't going to chop our heads off in the process of attacking the trolls.

I can't really say what happened next, it was a blur of bodies and pieces of flying metal. I was shoved more than once, pulled and barreled into. In the end I found myself back in a troll's grip along with the would-be-saviors. I was thrown into a foul smelling sack that was pulled taught at the sides of my shoulders while others around me were nearly suffocating with the strings pulled about their necks. I was hurled into a pile and someone was thrown on top of me. Most were being held down while I could only look on in shock and disbelief as the trolls tied at least half of the men together on a long spigot and hoisted them above the fire. They were going to cook those people alive.

I looked at the others tied up in sacks that were just as helpless as I was. They gave me curious looks but didn't dwell on my presence, they were rightly more interesting in their friend's fates.

"Hurry up will you? I don't fancy being turned to stone when the sun comes up." The knife troll that was now turning the spigot grabbed.

Suddenly, Bilbo jumped up, hopping forward in his burlap sack. "You're doing it all wrong."

The troll rolling the spigot spat at him, "What do you know about cooking Dwarf?"

"The seasoning, it's all wrong." Bilbo said.

Bert leaned forward. "What about the seasoning?"

"Well have you smelt them? You're going to need something stronger than sage before you plate this lot up."

"Traitor!" One of the guys next to my ear yelled and I drew away to keep my ears from being blown out.

_Dwarf? They were dwarves? First they said Bilbo, then hobbits, now dwarves?_I didn't want to believe it but it would explain a few things, and added another question. _What planet was on?_At this point I could be somewhere else entirely, everything was too surreal. Heck, I was willing to consider I was middle earth and that was weird in itself.

"The secret, the secret is," Bilbo struggled, "You have to…skin them first!"

The dwarves around me protested angrily while I was simply confused and a little disgusted at the imagery. Then it clicked. He was buying time until sunrise, one of the trolls hand mentioned they would turn to stone. Sure enough I could see the first rays of dawn behind the trolls. We would only have to hold out for about ten minutes, if that were possible. Had the night already gone by so fast?

"What a load of rubbish," the spigot turning troll snarled. "I've eaten plenty with their skins on, boots and all."

"He's right. Nothing wrong with a bit of raw dwarf." the cross-eyed troll reached into the group I was trapped with and I rolled wildly to not be the one he got a hold of, which had me rolling over Kili and I felt a little bad when he sputtered through my hair. He gave my ribs a deserving kick and I rolled to the other side of him, wedging myself between him and some other dwarf who gave me a severe look with piercing gray eyes and long black hair.

The troll picked out the largest of the group and held the poor guy above its disgusting, open mouth.

"Not-not that one! He's infected! Bilbo's should stopped the troll cold.

"You what?"

I silently cheered him on.

"Yeah he's got worms…in-in his tubes!" I cringed at the wording but it had the desired effect and the troll dropped the poor guy, tossing him back into the dwarf pile I was mixed up in. Karma decided to be a bitch today because his two hundred something or more weight fell on top of me. I gasped and tried to struggle free. The guy noticed my distress and rolled off, but not without leaving more bruises on my skin in his wake. I was going to be sore tomorrow.

"In fact they all have worms!" At Bilbo's declaration the dwarves were louder than before.

"I don't have worms, you have worms!" Kili barked with disgust.

"I have huge worms!" I yelled over the ruckus, trying to drown out the retorts at the notion of them having parasites. "I've got a tape worm as big as my intestines, it's twenty feet long! I named it Jimmy!"

Behind me the dwarf that had given me a nasty look gave a swift kick at the lot of us and it seemed to be exactly what the dwarves needed for their thick heads to get the idea of what Bilbo was trying to do. They instantaneously switched tactics, telling the trolls how many worms they had. It wasn't very convincing.

"Then what do you suggest we do, let them go?" Bert asked Bilbo. "Let them go?"

Bilbo shrugged and nodded, mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"That's it." The troll made to grab him when someone tall and clothed in a gray coat and pointy hat stood above the rocks.

"Let the dawn take you!" A tall man in a gray robe and gray pointy hat shouted from above the trolls.

With just a staff he hit the rock he was standing on and split it in half, letting the rays of the rising sun hit us like a death ray. The trolls squealed, trying to shield their eyes and their their skin began to crumble and turn an even grayer color, their withering movements became stiff. In seconds they had turned to stone, their motionless bodies hunched over the campfire and I was speechless. That wasn't special effects, there wasn't a doubt in my brain that what had just happened wasn't real.

The newcomer cut Bilbo of his bonds and came to free the rest of us. One by one we were released and the dwarves from the sacks rushed to help those tied to the spigot like a giant turkey leg. I stood where I had been released, unsure what to do with myself. The tall cloaked man was eyeing me oddly and I did much the same while still watching the others. Something about his was very familiar.

"And who might you be? Miss…?" The cloaked man came up to me and I had to choke to keep his name from leaving my lips. Gandalf.

"Megara, but you can call me Meg."

"Just Meg?" I don't know what else he was expecting and I nodded. He didn't appear content with my answer but let it slide.

"I must know how you came in company with these dwarves as I left them not long ago and I had not left you with them, nor the trolls."

"Yes, Gandalf. Where did you go?" The Dwarf with stunning gray eyes and a stern glare questioned.

"To look ahead and check our path."

"And what made you return?"

"Looking back."

The dwarf smiled, finding humor in the answer and finding it acceptable. After that he turned to me, now I had two men glaring me down, at least one was a couple inches shorter than me. I quirked an eye brow, he looked horribly familiar but I couldn't pin how.

"Hello." I said lamely.

Two blurs came rushing on either side of Gandalf and the stern looking dwarf and I was suddenly flanked by the brothers that had originally accused me of taking their ponies. They grabbed my arms on either side and I tried to pull out of their grasps.

"This here is who we thought took the ponies." Kili pointed out.

"She said she was lost and we didn't believe it at first." the blond brother jutted his chin into the air at the dwarf glaring next to Gandalf.

"But then we saw the trolls and she tried to help Bilbo get them back." Kili was giving a shit eating grin if I had ever seen one and I wouldn't say I had exactly helped. What were these two up to?

"Then let the human go. We have to move on." The black haired, gray eyed dwarf stated simply but with an air of arrogant authority.

The brothers shrugged, releasing me and moving on to where the other dwarves stood.

"Were those really trolls?" I questioned once they were gone. Gandalf and the gray-eyed dwarf studied my presence, the former looking slightly less weary.

"Yes. Now leave whence you came." The dwarf said roughly. I found him instantly the easiest to ignore.

"Do you know where the nearest town or at least cell tower is? Or do you have a radio I can borrow?" I was looking at the older man who seemed to be the more reasonable of the two.

"I don't know what you are asking from us but the nearest town is about a hundred miles that way." He canted his head behind where I stood I sputtered.

"A hundred miles?" I fished for my phone and when I pulled it out the dwarf had a sword held out, the tip of it pointing dangerously close to my stomach.

"The fuck dude?" I barked and waved the black square I held. "It's just a phone."

"Hold your foul tongue and never speak to me in such a way again or you will find yourself unable to speak at all," his tone was low and full of dark promise.

"Fine, I'm sorry I cussed, just get that thing out of my face. The most damage I can do with this," I gave the phone a shake, "Is toss it at your head and hope I don't break it in the process."

He didn't look satisfied but lowered his weapon, if only a little. I eyed him with my own warning look that held no water to it besides my burning annoyance. I was just and tired. With deft fingers I unlocked the phone and waited to see if it would catch a signal. I waited in silence, the two watching me as I glanced between it and them. Finally, I turned it off and shoved it into my pocket grumbling, "There's still no signal."

"What kind of signal?" Gandalf squinted his eyes and inquired with a great amount of concentration.

"One that will let me contact civilization and figure out where I am," I said drily, not understanding what other kind of signal I could be looking for. It should have crossed my mind that if I was in middle earth there would be satellites or any form of electronic communication, but I still refused to believe where I might or might not be.

"I must admit, your story does appear to hold some truth. Your attire is strange as is your speech and you carry nothing with you, suggesting you either live very close, or are very far from home and have lost your way and your belongings."

I wasn't sure if I should have felt offended. "Pretty much all of those," I mumbled.

"Well then, it's decided."

I opened my mouth wide "Decided what?"

The Dwarf shot Gandalf a dark look but he only grinned. "That you shall come with us of course."

"No," The dwarf sharply objected. "I won't allow it."

Gandalf bowed his head toward the dwarf and gave a look that said _'watch me'_.

"I will take full responsibility of her safety, Thorin Oakenshield. The decision is mine to make. We will take her as far as our next destination."

It almost sounded like he wanted to drag me along for shits and giggles and really, it sound good to me. Going with them would be better than standing around and possibly bumbling into more of those trolls.

Thorin turned on me, his gray eyes gleaming with warning. "I'll let you come because of the wizard but if you dare try anything I will cut your head off and leave your body to the wolves."

"Try what?" I asked densely, earning a particularly nasty glare. "I swear I won't do anything. Not that I could or want to anyway."

He looked a quarter satisfied. "Don't move until I say so."

With that he turned around and behind him Gandalf smiled, but not before giving me an odd wink. I mouthed 'thank you' and he dipped his head with his pointed hat before following Thorin who began booming orders to the others.


	2. Chapter 2

I was surprised by how many follows and favorites I received after only one chapter. Thanks guys, especially to 1emotionalunicorn and Vaughn Tyler for the encouraging reviews.

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><p>Their first priority was to find the troll's horde. Personally, I called it a cesspit. The cave wreaked like an outhouse that hadn't been cleaned in years and bones littered the entrance. I ignored the varying looks of disapproval and interest thrown my way when the dwarves passed by to enter the stinking mouth. No amount of supposed treasure would get me to wade through troll waste, even if they regularly shit diamonds. I was dry heaving just by standout outside.<p>

One of the taller, sterner looking dwarves waited outside with me to act as a lookout. He stood, back straight with his brass knuckled hands resting on the top of his tall axe while he regularly glancing my way and into the cave. I sat a little ways from the entrance on a rock and picked at the loose ground, flicking away dirt. The dwarves were noisily rummaging about the cave and voices flitted outside.

"What's your name?" I asked ten minutes in.

The dwarf standing guard looked me hard in the eye. "Dwalin," he replied in the most impersonal way possible.

"Oh." His name didn't sound familiar.

The dwarves didn't linger inside very long and emerged holding whatever they had found inside, weapons it looked like. Thorin glanced my way - probably making sure I hadn't moved or done anything – and I raised an eye brow as if to say 'yeah, I'm still here, sorry to disappoint'. I followed behind the last dwarf out of the cave and we returning to the ponies that had caused so much trouble last night. The company passed out a quick breakfast of dried meat and lumpy bread, which I flat out refused. My stomach was still churning from the smell of the cave and it didn't seem right taking their food.

There wasn't much debate when I ended up riding behind Gandalf on his horse, the only real horse of the company. I'm sure one stocky pony could support my height and weight, I wasn't an amazon woman by any means and the amount some of the ponies carried while stacked high with supplies made it apparent they could hold a great deal of weight. My feet probably wouldn't hit the ground even if I stretched, but all of the mounts were occupied and I would probably kill a pony if I sat on it with one of the dwarves. Maybe the pony the Bilbo rode could support us both. He was smaller than the others and his brown pony was less burdened, but I hadn't thought to ask him when I had the chance.

I still couldn't believe I was sitting behind Gandalf of all people. I had seen the lord of the rings when it came out and for a time I obsessed over it, but that obsession had faded over the years. Then the first The Hobbit movie came out and I saw that too, but only once and I couldn't remember hardly any of it - I hadn't read the books either. When I had come to the conclusion that this place _might _be middle earth and not a trick, I was sure I was in the time period of The Hobbit.

Those thoughts, of my being in middle earth of all places, were what kept floating at the edge of my thoughts. I wasn't ready to accept it, the idea was too outlandish, too much like an ignorant wish come true, but where else could I be? The longer we walked - with the dwarves at my back bickering and making all sorts of noise - the less I recognized the land. I didn't belong here and I still couldn't figure out how I had come to be here. It was as if my world had vanished from under my very feet.

"Tell me, Miss Megara."

Gandalf's voice was jarring after I had been drifting in and out, muddling my awareness and conscious interactions so my reply was anything but graceful as I slowly came out of the fog. "Huh?"

He made what sounded like a scoff or a clearing of his throat. "Where do you hail from?"

A few of the others who were close by grew quiet and it was hard to not turn around to see the looks on their faces.

I hesitated but eventually said, "Normally I live down south, nowhere near any mountains and at sea level, but I was just visiting my parents who live up in the mountains," I told him vaguely but truthfully.

"I see." Gandalf said slowly.

I didn't know how else to tell him states and countries without him getting confused or more suspicious. It was easier to fudge the truth than come up with some huge lie I would mix up later or be called out on.

"What do you do for a living, if I may be so bold to ask?"

Having small talk with Gandalf was probably the strangest feeling in the world and I couldn't tell if he was purposely prying or just bored out of his mind. Despite being a great wizard I could see it, he was human after all, but from what I remembered he never said anything without reason.

I was quiet for too long because he said, "you have no reason to be ashamed, all forms of work have their merit, and even if you are not, you have no obligation to tell me for it is really none of my business."

I sighed. "I don't really do anything for a living, not yet. I'm a university student."

"A student of a particular craft I assume?"

"Not a craft really. I'm working on my BS in biochemistry."

To that all he could say was a light, "Oh," and I could easily see him lifting his eyebrows in confusion.

"What exactly does that mean?" One of the dwarves piqued up. I twisted around toward a ginger dwarf, the smallest of three with red hair. Ori I think he said his name was. He shrank a bit at my attention though I have no idea why.

"It's just a degree on the biochemical processes that makes up living things and how their molecular structures work. How macromolecules interact, basically."

Ori stared with a wide mouth wide, eyes squinting and head bobbing to the side. "Ah. Right."

"It's just a lot of boring lab and book work and a pre-rec to medical school," I rushed out. I could see a fat lot of good my almost degree would do me here. The only thing I could do was recite medical conditions, common pill prescriptions, hydrocarbon structures, and sing a song for all of the skeletal muscles.

Ori looked down at his pony's mane, clearly not understanding what I meant but too abashed to point it out.

A few hours later the company had broken out into a cheery song while I was sneezing and sniffling. I was majorly allergic to horses. Their dandruff did disgusting things to my sinuses and I was starting to worry I might accidentally rub some of my snot onto Gandalf and tried my best to keep the drippings in while having gruesome flashbacks to the snot headed troll.

"Here lass. This might help you out."

A dwarf I couldn't remember the name of, but recognized by the big hat and swept aside black mustache, handed me a brown rag that appeared disgusting in its own right. It was clean, however, so I took it gratefully and give him a stuffy thank you to which he smiled.

"Think nothing of it. The horse hair doesn't agree with me or Bilbo back there much either."

I sniffled a bit and wiped my nose with the rag. "I feel your pain. What was your name again? It takes me a few times to remember them."

"Bofur, milady."

"Bofur…please just call me Meg" He nodded with that continuous grin of his. I swear this lot smiled more than most people I knew, though that was only a select few of them. The older looking dwarves hanging in the back were almost all frowns.

The company didn't stop until the sun started going down, glaring hot and blinding. Thorin was the one who declared we had traveled far enough and I was more than happy to agree. Getting off the horse was interesting. Gandalf slid down with more grace than me but it was when I tried to stand that I was stiff in places I didn't know I could feel stiff and my sitz bones felt like they had been abused in the worst ways. Being on solid land after swaying all day was another experience in its own. I stretched, popping my back as Thorin shouted orders at his company to set up camp.

I walked up to Thorin who gave me a nasty look and I could hear him in my head snapping _"What do you want?" _He was only shorter than me by an inch and I I wished he were the shorter of the dwarves to make him look less menacing.

"Anything I can do?" I asked, maybe a little too eagerly.

"You can stay where I can see you and not do anything you would regret."

I was antsy after sitting all day and wanted to do something physical. "I'm sure there's something."

"No," he snapped.

"Cooking? Setting up camp? Scouting?"

"I said no."

"Why not?"

I wasn't sure if he was trying to murder me with his stare but before he could succeed an elbow rested on the edge of my shoulder.

It was Fili, the brother who had put a knife to my throat. "Why don't you come with me and leave old Thorin alone?"

Thorin's deadly gaze turned to Fili who merely smiled and gave a small bow before leading me away. I didn't think Thorin would really kill me, at least not for pestering him for a job to help out. He looked grumpy, not insane. Still, I let the blond dwarf drag me away. Maybe he had something I could do, and I wouldn't mind stealing a few glimpses of him without having to pretend I wasn't staring.

He led me over to Kili then took hold of both my shoulders to twist me around. "Stand right here."

I didn't understanding what he was getting at and was half amused at how he had to reach up to clasp my shoulders. I was still getting used to the height difference. My 5' 3" wasn't exactly tiny but it wasn't huge either; I was used to being shorter a good chunk of the population but not by much. Most of the dwarves ranged about 4' 8" to a little taller by my guess. Now Bilbo, he was just cursed to be shorter than anyone_._

Fili walked around and I watched him look at me as if assessing something. "Perfect. Wait right here."

He smiled at my questioning glance and a glint in his striking blue eyes made me look at Kili who was behind me, or was it Fili. I kept getting their names mixed up. Whichever, he was the taller of the two with dark hair and eyes with lots of scruff as opposed to a beard like the rest of the company. He was also smiling but with that not so subtle 'we so are up to something' grin that only grew when I eyed him.

In the time I had looked at Kili, Fili had somehow gone and come back holding a pile of wood in his arms.

"Take this." He dumped the load before I had reached for it and I scrambled to catch the pieces before they fell. "All you have to do is keep an eye on our stock of wood and get more if it looks low."

Fili winked at me and I went stiff as a blush crept up my face despite the eating skepticism I felt in the pit of my stomach. They brothers bumped each other's arms as they turned away and when they were close to the campfire I heard muffled laughing. My blush instantly went cold and I looked down at the small pile of wood and I dumped it on the ground, loudly, and crossed my arms. Several of the dwarves looked up, including Fili and Kili who snickered louder than ever. If they thought I was going to stand there like a dunce holding the damn wood they were wrong; they hadn't even tactful at their little trick.

I settled on pacing in front of the discarded pile of timber until Bombur called for dinner. I couldn't help hesitating as the dwarves swarmed the largest dwarf. Bofur took the ladle and started serving everyone who were more than eager to get their meal and my stomach growled at the sight but I stubbornly hung back by sitting on the ground and kicked at the offending wood before crossing my arms over my knees and resting my chin there. It was nearly pitch black besides the fire light making it easy to close my eyes after being up for over twenty four hours and I was surprised I hadn't conked out while riding the horse.

I must have drifted into a light sleep because a tap on my shoulder and the pungent smell of broth pulled me out of a groggy state. A wooden bowl was shoved under my nose and I reflexively took it before looking up. It was Fili and Kili.

"Here, some of Bombur's best grew. We wouldn't want you starving on us now, especially not a sparkling young maiden." Kili smiled pleasantly.

"Did you hit your head?" I deadpanned, sure he was buttering me up before pulling another trick.

"Several times when he was a lad." Fili received a gaping look from his brother who was so cross that he couldn't speak.

I stirred the spoon around the soup. There appeared to be some beans in it.

"What are you doing?" I asked despite the fact Fili was still laughing at his brother who was glaring daggers at him.

"Whatever do you mean?" Fili inquired and sat himself next to me, holding how own bowl of soup.

Kili took it as his queue to sit on my other side and they were so close I could feel the heat radiating from their bodies. I was glad for the darkness that covered what was probably a creeping blush on my face. I eyed them, trying to keep both in my sights at the same time but found it impossible.

"Did you put something in this?" I wondered while taking a whiff of the soup before taking a tentative sip from the bulky wooden spoon.

"We would never." Kili sounded offended. "Look. It's perfectly fine."

Before I could stop him he dipped his spoon into my bowl and shoved it to his lips, eating so messily that some of the liquid spilled down his chin.

"Charming." I commented as he wiped the dribble away and grinned cheekily.

"I do believe she is making fun of you brother." Fili teased and his brother's smile fell to a pout.

I dipped my spoon into the bowl and ate a mouthful with a little more grace. It didn't taste nearly as bad as I thought it would. A little bland, but warm.

I waited for another witty comment or some prank but the brothers dipped their heads and slurped at their food, noisily and messily. It turns out Fili's table manners are just as bad as his brother's and they both ate as if they hadn't eaten anything in days, scraping every last morsel out of the bottom of the containers. I thought I was a fast eater but they were done in under a minute. They reminded me of dogs hovering food so fast it left you wondering if they even tasted the meal.

Once finished I stood to return the bowl but Fili jumped to his feet and grabbed it from me.

"Allow me." He trotted away with mine and Kili's bowl, leaving me alone with the taller brother.

"Why do you sit way over here?" Kili asked with his hands in his lap. "We won't bite."

"I don't know." I said truthfully. "I guess I'm still trying to process things."

"What? That you're lost and with a bunch of 'charming' dwarves?"

I pursed my lips sourly. "That and the trolls and the fact I almost became their dinner."

"But you didn't, thanks to us."

I looked at Kili out of the corner of my eye. "True and thank you."

He puffed out his chest and I'm sure he knew how much he had suddenly inflated while looking way too pleased with himself.

Fili must have thought the same because he had just returned and asked, "What has got you in such a good mood?"

"She thanked me for saving her." I was instantly regretting fueling his ego though I had meant what I said.

"And I should thank you and everyone else here." I said to Fili. "Despite the fact both of you abandoned me to the trolls."

Fili had the decency to look uncomfortable. "Why don't you come join the rest of us? Thorin is starting to get anxious and told me off a moment ago; he doesn't like the group separated."

I stood and dusted my jeans off, glad for the change of topic. "Sure," I said and waited for Kili to get up before I walked with the brothers to join the others.

I made a point to sit next to Bilbo who was talking to Bofur who was smoking a strange smelling pipe. The dwarves sang and told stories like a bunch of older boy scouts and it wasn't until the fire started going dim that they rolled out blankets to settle for the night. I was still sitting in the same spot with my eyes half closed with sleep when someone spoke nearby.

"Here miss. It isn't much but it will keep you off the ground." Balin handed me a blanket and shuffled away before I could thank him.

I threw it out and laid down on the uneven ground where I could feel rocks and sticks digging into my side. I pulled my hood over my head to block out the noises around camp and curled into myself, clutching my phone to my chest. I was a little anxious to sleep with so many strangers around but I would be no good if I didn't get some rest.

I awoke the next morning to clanging and shifting. I sat up, groggy and annoyed at being awake so early and saw the dwarves cleaning up camp. I hadn't slept that well, the pointy ground accompanied by loud snoring had kept me tossing and turning for most of the night. I drug myself to my feet and rolled up the blanket I had slept on and tucked it under my arm and readjusted the white headphones around my neck. It hadn't been a dream. I was really surrounded by dwarves and a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, and Gandalf the Gray.

I picked out Balin who was talking in hushed tones to Thorin and shuffled toward them. I waited for them to finish speaking and they did Thorin turned on me with that deathly gaze of his.

"Ah…um…Thank you for the blanket." I presented the rolled bed to Balin who shook his head.

"Of course, and please, keep it for you will need it again."

Thorin walked past me, shooting a look that was probably meant to convey something but I had no idea what. Balin followed close behind, patting my shoulder as he went when I quickly thanked him again.

It took all of a few seconds of standing there to give into the realization I had to find a restroom.

I placed the rolled blanket down on a log and went a ways into the trees. Going in the woods was no picnic; let's jus say I was just glad I had strong thighs. I finished quickly, not entirely comfortable without toilet paper but feeling better than before, and barely walked away from my tree when I nearly smushed into a wide body.

"And what'er you think you're back here?" It was Gloin, a large ginger haired man with a massive beard I was impressed at how clean he was able to keep it.

"Bathroom," I said simply, wondering what the big deal was.

He glared for a moment, probably trying to sniff out a lie. "You will find no bathing room out here."

I wondered if he was being literal on purpose. "I wouldn't think so…that would be nice…I just…" If he wanted to put things so bluntly, I would too, "needed to pee."

He crossed his arms over his bulky stature. "No one leaves the group without another, not even to wee."

"Why not?" I nearly whined. Why would I want to bring a guy to listen to…that?

"For one we don't know you. For two there are things out in these woods and no one should be caught unawares or alone." The brute was scolding me like a child, I couldn't believe it.

After Gloin chewed me out he led me back to the camp where breakfast was being passed out. It was leftovers from last night but I wasn't about to complain. Soon after I was being pushed onto Gandalf's horse again, the only difference being I was clutching the blanket I had been given.

"Miss Megara," Dori called. "Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?"

That again. We hadn't been riding for more than a couple hours, the dwarves chatting between themselves before the topic abruptly fell on myself.

"Just call me Meg," I called back. Gandalf had a habit of riding up front so I had to twist to talk to anyone, and past an ever grumpy Thorin. "I don't know what to say. I'm kind of boring."

"Nonsense. You said you studied some odd witchcraft."

I snorted incredulously. "Witchcraft? Yeah, right."

"What else could that nonsense be?" Nori called.

"I read a lot, I guess." I tried to steer the conversation away from my major that was the source of constant confusion.

"Of what? Records? Do you read many languages?" Nori sounded highly interested in the answer.

_Horrible, vile, lovely fan fiction._

"Sci-fi and fantasy mostly, when I'm not studying." It made me realize how long it had been since I read an actual book, or anything for that matter. The previous semester had been a living hell of reading assignments.

"Excuse me for asking this Miss-er," there was a small cough as Dori stumbled over his preferred choice of words and what she wanted to be called, "Meg, but how old are you?"

I was surprised by the question but not as offended as I thought I might be. It was sincere and not scathing as if he were making fun of me.

"22." I replied easily and there was a collective groan. What did I say?

"We have a human child with us. Brilliant." Dwalin grumbled loudly.

"I live on my own. I'm not a kid," I retorted sourly.

"I thought you had parents Miss Magara?" Trust Gandalf to use my ugly full name with an overly polite title.

"I do, but I moved out a couple years ago. I only see them on holidays."

"Then you were cast out?" Kili sounded a little bemused.

I didn't see the big deal, I would have probably slit my wrist if I had to live with them full time any longer. They were my parents but I could only take them in doses before I started going nuts. They probably felt likewise. "We'll, they have to kick me out some time. Better sooner than later."

There were frowns and quiet scoffs. What had their panties in a bunch? I thrived on living by myself and always enjoyed coming back to an empty apartment where I could throw my things down where ever I wanted and sprawl out on the couch in ways I would usually get yelled at for sitting like; plus everything would be exactly where I left it.

"Do you have no other kin to live with? Surely there are some who would like to have you?" Fili asked seriously. His voice was soft as if trying to amend something horrible.

I wish they would drop the topic. Talking about myself wasn't one of my favorite things and Fili's tone made me uncomfortable.

"I have some relatives but I don't really know them and I'm unlucky if I see them more than once a year. Why would I live with them?"

Almost all of them had problems. My family tree was dysfunctional, but whose wasn't? I wasn't about to lay out all of the reasons why I wouldn't want to live with any of them.

"You can't really mean that?" Kili wondered aloud.

"Why do you care so much? It would be weird if I lived with them and I would be considered a free loader man-child if I did."

They huffed and turned uncomfortably this way and that.

I thought Gandalf was about to probe me with more questions but it wasn't the case. "Wait a moment."

He pulled his horse to a complete stop and the others halted behind him. I clutched my blanket and looked around him.

Thorin voiced my thoughts but in a ruder tone, "Why are we stopping?"

Gandalf scanned the trees then slipped off his horse. "Something is near," he murmured.

"What is near?" Thorin, atop his pony, reached for a blade but didn't draw it.

"I know not, Thorin Oakenshield, but I feel we should wait for it to come to us." Gandalf announced loud enough so everyone could hear.

Thorin was not pleased by any means of the imagination. "We can't wait on a feeling and we have no time to stop. We keep moving." He shouted the last bit to his company and their ponies started moving forward.

Gandalf held his hand out. "Go fill your water skins. There is a river nearby. We will not have to wait long."

"Wizard, you are trying my patience. I say we move."

"Wait. I see something, over there." All of us stretched to see what Ori was pointing at.

I couldn't see what they did at but whatever it was sent Thorin on the move. He dismounted and drew his sword. "Dwalin, Gloin, Kili. Come with me. The rest of you wait here and see to the ponies. Stay on alert."

The dwarfs dispersed, the ones not called upon climbed down their mounts to wait. I slid over Gandalf's horse, lying on my belly and ungracefully fell off. I might have stumbled and flopped all the way down to my butt but a pair of hands stopped me in the nick of time.

"That horse there is a bit too big for you."

"Yeah, I don't think it likes me very much either. I'm not very good with horses."

A dusting of red hit my face when I turned and found my helper had been Fili.

"I can't see why. You look like someone whom animals would easily be fond of." I wasn't sure if that was an insult or not.

"I've only ridden them once or twice and I'm not very good with prey animals."

He jerked his head to the side, the massive mane of blond hair and oddly braided mustache swung with the force and I could hear the clinking of beads nestled somewhere in that mess.

"Now that is a curious thing to say," he said while pointing aimlessly at my stomach. "What do you mean by 'not good with prey animals'?"

A few instances came to mind in which I had bad encounters and I cringed. "I've always had dogs and I'm good with them, even cats though I don't really like them. But when I get around farm animals I constantly have to watch my back. One time a Swan came out of nowhere at a lake and I swore it had my soul on the menu. Did you know those things have teeth? Small, sharp serrated teeth that you can only see if you get close enough."

I had two fingers in front of my face, simulating fangs while making what was probably a hideous face. I wished Fili would stop grinning at me like that.

"And then I went to sit outside and a bird overhead pooped on my computer," I added, disgusted at the memory. It was near the beach and I hadn't even sat down for a minute when a milky white substance splashed onto my screen.

Fili laughed, a genuine bellow.

"It sounds like you have ill luck with birds my friend, not pray animals…What is the matter?"

He called me his friend. This guy who had put a knife to my throat (not that I held it against him anymore), pulled a dumb prank on me, was a different species, and hardly knew me had called me friend. He might have been jesting or…I don't know what.

"Nothing." I tried to amend whatever concerning look I was giving by smiling. "You're right, the birds are out to get me. You know what? I need to find the ladies room."

I wasn't trying to be rude or abrupt, I really had to go. Thorin never took breaks and my bladder was always nearly bursting when he did stop. After my first disappearance to relieve myself Gloin made it plain that I had to practically announce when I was going for a wiz and take at least one person with me, which I had each time afterwards. Usually I asked the older dwarfs since the likes of Ori would just turn bright red and Bofur didn't think it proper for him to be within a twenty yard radius. I didn't feel threatened by them watching my back, not literally of course. I didn't think anyone in their right mind would want to watch anyone squatting behind a bush. It was usually a group affair or an odd charade of taking shifts since everyone needed a 'pee buddy' and they were all suffering the same as me thanks to Thorin. _TMI, am I right?_

"Then I shall escort you Miss Meg." Fili offered, sweeping a hand toward the trees.

"Please just call me Meg," I huffed.

"My, so friendly already are we?" Fili gave a small wink and I shot him a questioning look.

"Uh, sure…crap. What was your name again?" I cursed my horrible ability to retain names. I could remember a face forever after seeing it once but give me a name and I'll forget it in under a second.

"I think your mind is a little too focused on your needs at the moment." He motioned me with one hand, a little stiffly this time, into the trees. When I didn't budge he added, "Fili."

"Fili. Fili. I'm sorry I suck at names. I need to remember all of yours but there's a bunch of you. It's going to take a bit. Fili, right?"

He nodded, looking a bit more exasperated. "Don't hurt yourself over it. I promise I'm not offended, just, please, go and finish your business quickly."

I did, feeling highly embarrassed. I really hated my inability to remember names the first or second time. After I had finished I took watch for Fili though I had no idea what I was looking for or what I would do if I saw something. They kept saying there were dangerous things out in the woods, and after the whole troll debacle I whole heartedly believed them, but I couldn't fathom what could be worse than those. I tried to remember what else was in the lord of the rings and orcs came to mind from Sauron's army. They were ugly but they weren't as big and didn't live in their own toilets.

When Fili was finished he came out of the woods with a long sigh of relief and I smirked knowing the feeling. "I have a question."

He hummed to show I had his attention and his startling blue eyes shot up to meet my brown ones. "Y'all keep saying we have to stay on guard, but for what? Are there more trolls out there?"

Fili shrugged a bit. "Bears, more trolls, foul beasts, travelers with ill intents."

"Does it happen often?"

He shook his head and looked down then back up, a lopsided frown creasing his face. "No. Not really, but Thorin is a paranoid sort."

A quiet, strangled laugh left my throat. "He's your relative right?"

"Indeed. He is Kili and I's Uncle. We are of the line of Durin." There was a small amount of pride when he declared this but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I know how it feels to have psycho, overly protective relatives."

He looked surprised then mildly amused. "I have to say, most run from his less than inviting aura but you hardly seem to take notice."

"I don't really know him but so far all I see is an old grump." I thought of adding 'no offense' but the way Fili and Kili spoke about him they probably knew and felt the same.

"Just don't say that in front of him." He left my side as we rejoined the others.

I was bouncing on my feet to stretch out my legs when Thorin came running back with the dwarves he had taken with him, Gandalf in tow. I hadn't noticed the wizard went with them, too. They were out of breath when they reached us.

"We shouldn't stay here any longer." Thorin announced.

"What did you see?" Nori questioned nervously.

Thorin opened his mouth but a far off voice, howling and carrying on in a way I couldn't understand cut him off.

The dwarves spun towards the cries, drawing their weapons. They huddled close, shoulder to shoulder, and I found myself being tugged and pushed until I was behind a solid line of hulking dwarves and pressed against Bilbo's side with whom I exchanged startled looks with. I could see just over the Dwarves heads and what came crashing through the woods were rabbits, giant brown blurs tied to a wooden sleigh. The dwarves backed out of their way and shoved Bilbo and I as they raised their weapons.

"Radagast the Brown." Gandalf addressed with no small amount of surprise.

The dwarves looked to each other then slowly lowered their arms, hesitantly.

I cringed at the sight of the newcomer. He wore a brown cloak and hat and a long scraggly gray beard with hair that look like it hadn't been washed in months, worse so than even the dwarves, and…was that dried bird shit running down the side of his face? I was about to hurl.

"Gandalf! I have been looking for you! I have, you have, there's something I need to tell you, I saw something!" Radagast panicked.

Gandalf handed the scraggly looking man his lit pipe and let Radagast take a long draw of the tobacco. The man relaxed instantly, his eyes going lazy and his shoulders slumping. When he breathed out smoke curled from out of his nose.

"Now," Gandalf began, "Tell me what it was you saw."


	3. Chapter 3

**A big thank you to Vaughn Tyler and sistaa-krimzz for their reviews. I always like to hear I am keeping the everyone acceptably in character. I'm tired but decided to crank this next chapter out, enjoy. **

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><p>The company dispersed while Gandalf conversed with a flustered Radagast, the two wizards spoke in low tones while I paced a bit to make use of my legs before I would be trapped on a horse again. An arm shot out across my chest, halting my steps. Something long and covered in leather was shoved into my hands.<p>

"You know how to use a blade don't you?" Dwalin rumbled.

I turned the weapon over in my hands. It was too small to be a sword but too big to be a dagger. I partially unsheathed it to see the strange way it was shaped like a machete. It was heavy and rough with use.

"Use one how?" I wondered while dreading the answer.

Dwalin scowled. "To defend yourself."

I was more than alarmed at his answer. "Defend myself against what?" I squawked.

"Monsters, goblins, madmen." Kili shook his head, looking a bit mad himself though he was grinning with excitement.

"But you have nothing to fear when we are near my lady." Fili bumped into Kili and gave me way too charming a look.

I almost doubled over with a loud snort. "My lady?" I laughed even louder. "What have you been smoking?"

"With that sort of strange language I can't see how she's a fair lady either. Were you raised by wolves my dear?" Gloin was giving the same reprimanding look he gave every time I cussed or said something that constituted as strange.

My expression soured then a howl echoed from afar and everyone's breaths stalled.

"Was that a wolf? Are there wolves here?" Bilbo stuttered.

That didn't sound like any wolf I had ever heard. It was too guteral, and reverberated like a bear or a lion.

"Wolves? No that is not a wolf." Bofur drew his mattock and the company pulled their weapons. Even the constantly jesting brothers fell into defensive stances, the smiles gone from their faces and replaced with hardened eyes.

A deep snarl had my eyes spinning, then I saw it, if only for a moment. Something large like a bear with gleaming yellow eyes blocking the sun filtering through the trees with a massive open maw. It lunged into the middle of the group and I was shoved aside. I heard a curdling squeal and loud pants and when I turned around Thorin was pulling an ax out of the felled best's head. Close up the animal looked more like a giant hyena with the body of a greyhound rather than a wolf's.

"Warg scouts, which means an orc pack isn't far behind." Thorin shouted

Gandalf pushed his way toward Thorin, his blue eyes wild when they found the dwarf. "Who did you tell of your quest?!" He bellowed.

"No one!" Thorin roared took a giant step toward the wizard.

"Who did you tell?!" Gandalf raved.

"No one, I swear on Durin!" Thorin threw his shoulders back, clearly offended but no less unsettled.

Hands grabbed either side of my arms and pulled me to my feet.

"Stay close." Fili warned as he and his brother held death grips on my arms.

Their knuckles whitened around their weapons; Fili clutched his sword and Kili let go slowly to notch an arrow into his bow. I was too shaken up to object and merely nodded. I met both of their eyes for a moment and saw much of the same tense uncertainty shooting through them. I saw movement in the distance.

"Behind you!" I screamed the second I spotted a second warg that was creeping up behind Thorin. It lunged, snarling angrily the same instant Kili released his arrow. He struck the beast square in the head, killing it almost instantly.

The warg crashed to the ground and Thorin yelled, "Move!"

"We can't. We have no ponies. They've bolted!" Ori hollered from above a ledge. He looked utterly terrified and on the verge of wetting himself.

Something told me nothing short of a thoroughbred could outrun the wargs, we would have been mincemeat on the ponies anyway.

"I'll hold them off." Radagast boldly, and not looking quite right in the head, announced.

Gandalf blocked Radagast from leaving. "These are Gundabad Wargs. They will outrun you."

Radagast leaned forward with a mad twinkle in his eye and pointed back to his sleigh where beady eyed creatures the size of dogs sat scratching their long ears. "These are Rhosgobel rabbits. I'd like to see them try."

Gandalf was silent for a moment, then, "Alright. May your beasts be swifter than orc bred war wargs."

Radagast smirked and I didn't know where he was getting the confidence from. There was no way giant rabbits could outrun those wargs, but I wasn't about to tell him that.

The brown wizard took off in his sleigh and I wondered how the wood it was made of didn't disintegrate from being dragged across the forest floor.

Fili, who hadn't let go of my arm, slipped his hand down to mine, gripping it tightly, and pulled me with him when the company started running with Gandalf leading the way.

I wouldn't have guessed how fast dwarves could run. Perhaps sprint, but not full out run like track stars with longer legs than they possessed. I found I was cursing my hiking boots; they restricted my ankle movement, usually a good thing to keep me from breaking or springing it on loose rocks, but now it hindered my ability to run. I had to use my thigh muscles to bring my legs up high to stretch them out and stomp as fast as I could. Without Fili dragging me to keep up I probably would have fallen far behind and been warg food.

The tree line abruptly broke away to rolling hills and large broken boulders. My eyes searched the clearing wildly where I could see all the way to the mountains. My lungs burned with each ragged breath and I felt ready to keel over though we hadn't been fleeing long. I could walk like a horse but get me running and I would only last a few minutes.

I wasn't given any more time to think. I was crammed between dwarves huddling together as much as possible without hindering each other's strides. The company dodged behind a rock and stopped for a brief second. I smacked into Fili's back and someone into mine, then we shot off again, thinning out into a line to race behind the next rock.

I caught a glimpse of Radagast and I'll be damned if I didn't eat my earlier thoughts. His rabbits were a brown blur streaking across the landscape with a pack of wargs being ridden on by orcs following close behind, but well out of reach. I was losing strength fast and started to lag but I wasn't allowed by a harsh hand that kept shoving me from behind and Fili's sweaty but fierce grip.

We left the next outcrop but stopped dead in the open. Our path was blocked, Radagast had led the orcs right through our escape. That _stupid _wizard!

"Move!" Gandalf shouted and led us in another direction before we could be seen.

The company dashed behind cover and Thorin had to reach out and grab Ori by the back of his shirt and pull him back before he could be seen by the passing pack. "Far enough! Get back."

Thorin threw Ori next to me and the youngest dwarf shrank against the rock, eyes wide with fear.

"Come on, come on, quick." Gandalf ushered the company forward when the wargs passed and we followed in a line hugging our cover.

I saw a warg rider break off from the pack moments before rocks blocked my view and my heart hammered; it was coming for us. The company slammed against the next boulder, lining up and smashing as close to the rough rock as they could. I was smothered by Fili who shoved my back into the wall painfully as he shielded me with his body. I let out a small yip from the impact and the others grew quite, trying hard to slow their heavy breathing. I didn't know what Fili was trying to do, meld me into the rock? I squirmed away from him but he moved with me and I wound up being squished half under him and Bofur whom the latter threw an arm across my neck in a nervous reflex that I grabbed onto.

I heard a growl from above and loud sniffing, claws scraping against rock. All of us looked up and held our weapons close, even me. My dagger was unsheathed, the metal gleamed through my fingers as I clutched it close though it didn't bring any form of comfort. I doubted my arms had enough strength to plunge it deep enough to do any real damage.

Thorin nodded to Kili who looked down and pulled an arrow from his back and slowly drew it onto his bow. We all watched him, anxious and bracing for what might come next. I held my breath when he sprang out, whirling around and fired above our heads. I heard it hit the warg, but not where it needed to. The beast tumbled off the top of the rock, wounded but not dead. The orc astride it sprung off the downed animal with a black weapon held high and a foreign war cry springing from its foul mouth. I always thought orcs were ugly but it was nothing compared to how repulsive they looked up close.

The creature had sunken, beady eyes and a massive under bite with large yellow teeth curling over its upper lip. Spit sprayed from its mouth and its molted skin pulled over bulging muscles as it raised its weapon high. The bony armor it adorned wasn't enough to save it from the ferocity of the dwarves.

Thorin intercepted the orc and Dwalin finished off the Warg with one heavy swing of his ax to its head. Neither of their deaths were quick. They screamed writhed and the orcs blood glopped out black and congealed like poisoned jelly as Thorin hacked it to death with his sword. When the yowls stopped we all froze, praying the death screams hadn't been heard. I was shaking, the dagger rattled in my hands and I had pressed into Fili's mat of hair and squeezed my eyes shut to avoid looking at the carnage. I wanted to say something, anything, but my throat had locked up and was hitching making it hard to just breathe.

I heard the other orcs in the distance and the heavy panting and snarling of the wargs getting closer. The company broke off, sprinting away from the rock. We couldn't outrun them. I had lost Fili when we peeled from the rock and the dwarves were out running me thanks to my constrictive boots. Only when they stopped to huddle in a circle like a group of angry linebackers was I able to catch up. I held my dagger up and I couldn't have felt anymore weak or defenseless than in that moment when Wargs with and without riders surrounded us on all sides, coming in closer and closer as they circled.

"Where's Gandalf?!" Someone shouted.

I looked around for the tallest of our group and couldn't believe our wizard was nowhere to be seen. I blinked harshly and tried to put my faith in him. From what I remembered Gandalf wasn't one to abandon others. I just hoped I was right.

"This way you fools!"

I nearly cried with relief when we turned to see the wizard a few yards away just in time to watch him jump down a rock and disappear. The Dwarves followed and Thorin leapt onto the edge Gandalf had vanished behind and looked down.

"Everyone in!" he roared and started pulling and shoving every dwarf he could get his hands on into the shelter though they didn't need the encouragement.

I was lagging behind the group when I sprinted toward Thorin. Only Fili and Kili were left, throwing knives and shooting arrows at wargs that got too close. Suddenly, and with bone bruising force, I was tackled by a warg. I screamed and frantically stabbed at it with my dagger. Its teeth scrapped against my arms pathetically trying to shield my face, tearing my jacket and the skin beneath as I shoved its massive head away from mine. I slashed at it, making nicks in its nose and further enraging it. One of its giant paws slammed into my middle to hold me down as it opened its jaws wide. It was about to take my head off. With a swift jab I shoved my arm holding the dagger up its throat. Its sank into the soft flesh of its upper mouth and it reared back, screaming and shaking, then I heard a whistle and an arrow imbedded itself in the wargs head. It dropped its dead weight on my legs and chest and desperately I tried to squirm loose.

My arms and legs felt like useless jelly when clawed uselessly at the stinking fur. The weight of the warg disappeared without warning and I scrambled up unsteadily.

"Kili!" Thorin hollered urgently and the aforenamed dwarf threw my disoriented self in the right direction. I started running toward Thorin and a pensive Fili, my vision tunneling on the two dwarves looking past my head. When we drew close Fili dropped inside the cave then Kili, then a shove at my back from Thorin sent me toppling into the hole in the rock. I summersaulted downward, banging against stone and came to a stop in a heap. I rolled to my feet, breathing heavily the same moment a horn blared from above. The sound of fighting raged above and I pressed into the clustered dwarves.

A body slid into our hiding place and we scrambled to make room for it. It landed with a thud, its ugly head lolling lifelessly into the dirt. Gandalf shoved his staff at its face and Thorin nearly impaled it. The orc was dead. The sounds above dwindled into the distance under hooves, heavy paws, and orcish screams.

Thorin yanked an arrow out of the dead orc and turned the bloodied tip over. "Elves," he said with disgust and threw the snapped weapon to the ground.

The company looked to each other, breathing heavily and taking in the fact they were all alive. I saw Kili and literally squealed and squeezed the surprised dwarf so tight that air whooshed out of his lungs.

"I'm sorry I was a jerk to you oh my god, I swear to fuck. Thank you." I rushed out, my voice jittery from coursing adrenaline.

Kili reanimated after a stunned silence and patted my back with a grin. "Think nothing of it, Meg."

There were a couple chuckles but they were short and airy, dying as soon as they started.

"There's light this way! Do we follow it?!" Dwalin stood a little from the group, looking down a tunnel at the back of the cave that disappeared around a corner.

"Follow it of course!" Bofur bolted forward and the others followed without question.

Kili tried to follow but I clung to him like I was attached. My arms were pried from around him and Kili shot his brother a cheeky grin.

"Time to go." Fili shoved me lightly and I followed the dwarves, my limbs shaking as the burst of adrenaline started to drain from my system.

The path narrowed until we had to skirt single file and I felt a wave of claustrophobia take hold. The only solace I had was a break in the rock above where I could see daylight and sky. I was behind Bombur had the hardest time slipping through. His massive stomach caught on the close rock and he fumbled every time he broke free only to get stuck again. My lacerations were starting to sting with the sweat that mingled with my own sticky blood. I left smears of it all over the rocks as I went and every bump against the jagged stone made me cringe. I was glad to be behind Bombur who, though was being as hasty as possible, was still the slowest of the group getting through.

Thorin was at the back, pushing us roughly forward and every now and then I could see Gandalf up ahead between the rocks.

At last we broke free and over the dwarves heads I could see trees in the distance across a valley. The dwarves spilled out onto a ledge, pooling outward to look out over the forest. I rocked to the side and fell into a sitting position on the closest wall, not caring what was on the other side. I slumped against the stone, dragging the fabric of my jacket along the rock. I panted, feeling light headed and ready to pass out then and there.

The dwarves were talking, some whispering, and a yelling match broke out between Thorin and Gandalf. Only when I heard Bilbo breathe out the word "Rivendell," did I look up.

I recognized that word. It was some elf city if I remembered right. My sight locked not on Bilbo but Thorin's boring eyes who was standing next to the hobbit. He was glaring my way and I took it as his way of saying, _"get your ass up."_

I stumbled to my feet and he nodded at me once before turning and following Gandalf who was leading the company down a steep incline, down into the valley. Despite cursing my boots earlier I was thankful for their tight grip on the loose and slippery rock. While others stumbled I held firm though my vision was starting to look airy and I felt odd.

Ori slipped and caught my arm in desperation to keep from falling. I choked, caught off guard by the pain of him tugging on my wounded arm but I kept the both of us from falling flat on our backs by grabbing the dwarf in front, which happened to be Dwalin. His arms pin wheeled to stay upright as I pulled on him and Ori pulled on me. Thankfully Dwalin was strong enough to stay put long enough for both of us to right ourselves. He looked back with a glare that went from me to Ori, whom he glared at longest, before glancing down at my arms and returning to walking forward as if we hadn't almost dragged him down a cliff face.

I pried the terrified looking Ori's hands off my arm with a cringe and he let go almost too fast. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He looked even more scared when he saw the blood on his hands.

I gritted my teeth as tears started to prick them and didn't trust my voice so I merely nodded to show I wasn't mad. He still backed away with his head bowed, probably not getting the message through my red face and teary eyes. I angrily swiped away a wet drop that dripped down my cheek and focused on walking forward. In the distance I could see Rivendell, as breathtakingly beautiful as I remembered from watching the lord of the rings. It was surrounded by flowing waters and its white stone walls rose out of the cliff like fairy tale. I might have appreciated it more if I hadn't been so tired or my mind obsessing on the possibility of a bath and a real bed.

By the time we reached the bottom I was in a haze that I blearily came out of when we started across a bridge wide enough to walk two abreast. Next to me was Ori pushing into my side, a slingshot gripped so tight in his hand that his knuckles turned white. I didn't know what he was so scared of. Nothing could be worse than the orcs and wargs. Even the trolls hand been a picnic in comparison.

Gandalf stopped us at the entrance with a wave of his hand. My boots scuffled to a stop on the smoothed stone floor and I was starting to dislike the setting sun that was beating down on us. It had been in my eyes for the last hour minutes and now it hid partially behind a pillar. A tall man with long brown hair and wearing a dress stalked down the steps in front of us.

He greeted Gandalf in what I assumed was elvish and the wizard greeted in kind then asked, "Where is Lord Elrond."

It was one of the few names I knew a face and a personality to and no sooner had Gandalf asked then a familiar horn blew from behind. A group of elves wearing thin, minimalist armor and riding proud horses came trotting across the bridge.

"Form rank!" Thorin shouted as if preparing for battle. The dwarves were too eager to follow his command. I was pulled and tugged uncomfortably as they formed the closest huddle I had seen them in yet, or had the displeasure to be a part of. I was sandwiched against Bilbo and familiar messes of black and blond hair were in my view. Fili was pushing his brother behind him and into me and I found Ori at my said again. The older dwarves made a ring around us and it was almost comical how I stuck out in the middle while Bilbo was nearly being smothered by them all. I was pinned so tightly I could barely move my arms that stung like a bitch as it rubbed against those around me despite the desperate way I clutched it to suppress the sting and the prevent it from being bumped. I felt tears of pain starting to prick again and tried to hold them back.

The elves circled us, peering down at Thorin's company through their helmets. They were smirking but hadn't drawn any weapons. I scowled realizing they were mocking us and immediately wanted the smack the first elf I could reach off his horse and into the river.

They dispersed as quickly as they came and disappeared into the city, all but one. I recognized him instantly, Lord Elrond. He dismounted his horse and approached Gandalf with a huge smile that disarmed the dwarves enough that they broke their tight circle.

I had had just about enough bodily contact for one day and tried to pull away from their ridiculous behavior. They were overreacting at the presence of the elves. I always thought of them as prickish and uptight but at least I didn't fear a knife in the back. I took one step back and bumped into someone, then there was a dwarf on my either side like they had subconsciously surrounded me, feeling threatened at the notion of any of them breaking away from the group. It was quickly getting irritating.

Elrond finished speaking with Gandalf and looked over us. He spoke slowly in a language that was void of harsh syllables and I couldn't help but think it would be hell to remember the nuances of their words because of it. It didn't matter because I would never understand a lick of it anyway. From the tense dwarves sprang Gloin to the front, brandishing his ax.

"Does he offer us insults?" he ground out while shaking his weapon.

"No Master Gloin. He is offering you food." Gandalf looked more than a little amused and even I couldn't help but crack a smile as they dwarves huddled together to whisper amongst each other. I had never seen anyone change their mind faster when they broke apart, nodding and grumbling in agreement.

Elrond waved us forward and when Gandalf made a point to be the first to follow the silent command, the others followed enthusiastically. When I was about to pass Elrond stood in my path. My eyes went wide and I looked up at him, wondering what I had done.

He motioned for an elf woman nearby and she came up to him immediately. "Take this guest and have her wounds tended. She may join her companions afterward." I was glad he spoke in English but when the elf woman eyed my wounds and put a hand on my back to lead me away I suddenly felt reluctant and looked to where the dwarves were disappearing.

"Where are you taking her?" I never thought I would be so glad to hear Thorin's harsh voice. I breathed a weird sigh of relief that my sudden absence hadn't gone unnoticed and Thorin bore down like an angry dragon on Elrond and the elf leading me away.

"Your human friend is visibly injured. It would be wrong of me not to have her wounds looked at. I promise she will be returned swiftly."

Thorin glared at Elrond and I wondered why he cared if I was taken away. The point was to get me to the nearest town and dump me off so they could be on their way without my annoying presence. After I counted to five Thorin relented and I was impressed Elrond hadn't cracked under the gaze despite Thorin being comically shorter than him.

"I better not discover an extra scratch on her." There was a threat in his tone that Elrond didn't so much as flinch or look insulted by.

"You have my word." He declared with his chin pointed upward, perhaps looking a little insulted if I looked hard enough.

I locked confused eyes with Thorin that only lasted a second before I was forced to turn around by the guiding hand of the elf woman. I walked fast enough to get away from her touch and she directed with words where I needed to go with gentle words.

"I expect you would like to bath first. It would do your wounds good to get them clean before they were treated."

My eyes lit up and said a little too excitedly, "Yes, yes. I need a bath. Please I will love you forever."

She laughed and I found her beauty intimidating. I probably looked disgusting in comparison. "My name is Meg by the way."

"And I am called Lanthel," she said politely.


	4. Chapter 4

**I have more than half the fic finished and I'm anxious to get chapters out since all I need to do is edit and add onto them, though that takes time all on its own. A special thank you to luvgirl101 and my muse bounce board Vaughn Tyler for reviewing . Enjoy the early treat.**

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><p>"Here is where you may bathe." Lanthel opened a door that lead to a steaming tub surrounded by soaps that looked like it had been waiting for me like a pot of gold at the end of Rivendell's personal rainbow.<p>

"Please remove your clothes. I will take them to be cleaned."

I was a little too eager in stripping my layers and cringed when I yanked on the jacket. It was stuck to my congealed blood, making removing it painful as it pulled away from the caked mess.

"Allow me." Lanthel helped me out of my jacket and shirt with as much care as she could muster. It still hurt like nothing I had felt before as the fabric was literally torn from my skin but I was glad when it was gone. I was in nothing but my bra and I could finally see the gashes all over my arm. My torso was a bit bruised but no worse for wear.

"I cannot tell the severity of the wound from so much blood. I will treat it after you clean off. If you will take off your undergarments I shall wash them as well."

I didn't feel too odd standing there in my underwear but the moment she wanted them I went bright red.

"If you'll look away for a second. Please?"

She complied and I stripped, throwing the dirty garments on top of my destroyed jacket. It was a shame because I really liked it and I was afraid the elves would trash it.

"If there's a way to save the jacket I would be grateful."

Lanthel turned around when I had my back to her, my arms crossed over my chest. She looked down at my clothes and frowned. "I can see what a seamstress says but please be prepared for the worst."

I pursed my lips sourly but nodded. I didn't have much on me from home and losing even an article of clothing was a downer. Lanthel took up my clothes and left me alone with the bathtub. I took off my necklace, and ring that were as much a part of me as my own skin, and set them beside the tub with my headphones. I sunk in slowly, hissing as the water flowed over my wounds, burning them. The tub quickly filled with dirt and blood and I wished the elves had a shower. I was starting to dislike the idea of bathing in my own filth. I did my best and scrubbed gently.

I grabbed the soaps next to the tub and made best guesses as to where they were supposed to go. I used a vase of provided water to wash out my hair and was out of the bath as quickly as I could manage. I was nice to be clean again and I might have spent longer in the deliciously hot water if it hadn't turned a murky brown and my cuts weren't stinging as if they were on fire.

There wasn't a towel provided so I crept toward the door and peeked my head out. Cold air hit my face and I instantly wanted to slink back into the humid room.

"Finished already?" Lanthel walked towards me with an articles of clothing thrown over her arm.

I nodded and slipped back inside, holding the door open for her while simultaneously hiding my naked self behind it. She walked in, her long dress swishing behind her. She set a bundle down on a bench and turned to where I was peaking my head out from behind the door and smiled.

"I don't believe you can pick out your dress from there Lady Meg."

"Just Meg." I said automatically while Lanthel picked up a brown dress that looked silky in texture and held it out towards me as if she could size me into it through the door.

"I brought a few that I thought might fit you…Why do you look at me in such a way?"

My nose was scrunched as I looked at the brown fabric. "I'm not a dress person."

Her eyes glittered as if she knew exactly why and was in on my secret. "I doubt you will have to flee or fight for your life in the time you are here."

That wasn't the point at all. I just hated dresses. I couldn't move in them the way I wanted to, it was constrictive.

"Come now. Stop being stubborn. It will only be for a short while."

I know there would be no fighting it. The elves were being nice enough already by giving me a bath and washing my sweaty clothes. I might have thought they were annoying and uptight but at least they knew a thing or two about hygiene and plumbing. I turned my back and shuffled to where she could see me.

Lanthel breathed deeply. "Valar. Come closer. I brought medicine and bandages for you as well. We'll see to that first."

I sat on the carved stone bench, shivering at its coldness, and Lanthel opened a jar containing a thick, grassy smelling substance. "Does it hurt?" She asked when I flinched at the cool, sticky substance she rubbed against the gashes. The medicine had a distinct aroma to it, like lavender.

"Yes." I said through grit teeth.

"The salve will help. Your wound are not too deep, only long," was all she said.

I was waiting for her to ask how I had acquired such wounds that probably looked like I run through a barbed wire fence but she never did. Lanthel wrapped my arm tightly then carefully helped me into the dress. It was more comfortable than I thought it would be, loose and silky like a nightgown – though I hopped I wasn't going to walk out of here without some sort of bra. She gently scrubbed my hair and brushed it out despite my protests that I could do it myself.

"There. Much better." Lanthel stood and looked me over and I wished there was some kind of makeup I could smother on my face to cover up my dark circles and slight blemishes. Next to the elf I looked like road kill, clean road kill, but road kill none the less.

"If you follow me I shall lead you to your companions." I tailed behind and gave a heartfelt _thank you_ for all she had done, and I meant it with every fiber of my being.

She gave one of those silent, knowing smiles.

I was led to a courtyard where I could hear the dwarves before I saw them. I pushed at my hair nervously that fell down my back in messy waves. I had been straightening it for so long that it felt strange to be walking around without it filled with product and slightly damaged from a straightener and blow dryer.

When I walked down the steps I saw the dwarves sitting at tables that were just right for their stature and they were picking hazardly at bowls of food in front of them making me wonder where all the zeal for the free meal had gone. They noticed me instantly, a few jerking a little in their seats and Fili jumped out of his, gaping a like a fish. I smiled tiredly and he strode over to meet me half way.

"You look…much better." He said quietly, taking my hand.

I was surprised by the gesture as led me over to the dwarves, holding my hand like a gentleman.

"I feel better." I said truthfully. "And clean," I added.

He showed me to what used to be his seat and when I sat I felt like my knees would come up to my ears. He pulled up an extra chair and Kili smirked next to me.

"My, I didn't know you could look so lovely."

I rolled my eyes. _Yes, good, let's all make fun of the grumpy girl who has been forced into a dress._ I didn't feel like me and I was more than a little self-conscious about my bra-less state. Lanthel had said it would be fine but I wasn't believing her.

"Are you well?" Fili asked pensively and looked at my right arm.

I nodded and his shoulders relaxed marginally. "Forgive me. I said I would not let harm befall you yet you had to be treated for wounds."

"It's nothing," I waved off, not wanting to continue the topic.

I started to feel more than a little self-conscious when several of the dwarves stared like I had something obnoxious on my face.

I squirmed. "What?"

"I couldn't help but admire the fine jewels you wear." Dori pointed to his neck and I thumbed the thin gold plated necklace sitting against mine.

The necklace had three small diamonds set into a hollow bar, the pendant was smaller than half my pinky finger. They weren't high grade minerals and the necklace had been a cheap present from when I was a teenager, though it wasn't trash jewelry either. I wore it every day and during the whole fiasco with the dwarves I had had it tucked away in my shirt. The ring on my right middle finger was thin and silver with a few almost invisible diamonds set around my birthstone and Kili was turning over my hand to look at.

I felt uncomfortable as they eyed the jewelry and didn't know why they were looking at it so hungrily.

"Why do you still wear…this thing? Ear guards?" Fili pointed to the plastic headphones around my neck and the red cord connected to it and dangling at my side. I had tried to wrap it around the headset but for now it hung loose.

"I don't feel comfortable parting with it." I said truthfully.

Lanthel had begged me to get rid of them, saying they looked 'odd', but I had refused then nearly panicked when I remembered my phone was still in my jeans. She assured me anything that had been with my clothes would be returned.

"What family do you come from again?" Dori asked with a sparkle in is eye.

"Um, mine?" was my pitiful reply.

"Yes, you've hardly told us anything about where you come from. You seem to come from a wealthy sort. Are you perhaps the daughter of a lord?" Balin was getting way too friendly for my liking and the other dwarves were too eager to join him in their questioning.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I lamely told them. "I live in a one bedroom apartment that's smaller than this room," I motioned to the room that more appropriately called an outdoor courtyard. "And I'm a typical poor college student."

"Poor she says." Dori scoffed.

"I don't-It's an expression. The family I come from is middle class but not rich. Definitely not lords or whatever."

"Where did you come by such finery? It looks too nicely molded to be of human make. I know no dwarves who made those markings, nor elvish." I was starting to wish Dori would mind his own business. He hadn't talked much before and suddenly he wanted to know my whole life story.

"It's human made. It was a birthday present from my mom." I said defensively.

I was about to die from all of the attention and questions I didn't want to answer when Nori turned around and groaned at the nearest elf playing a harp.

"Change the tune why don't you? I feel like I'm at a funeral."

I had to agree, the slow harp and high pitched flute were a bit grating and monotonous.

"Did somebody die?" Oin had a napkin shoved into the golden trumpet he held to his ear.

"All right lads. There's only one thing for it." I grabbed a roll of bread before Bofur could trample all the food during his climb onto the table, trampling on plates and food I was ravenously eyeing to stand on a flat stump that sat between the two separate tables the dwarves occupied.

I was mortified when he started singing.

"There's an inn," he sang with a long, off tune vibrato then picked up a light beat by stomping his feet on the log. "Inn, there's an inn, a merry old inn beneath an old grey hill." I ducked down when the other dwarves joined him in the strange song, and was utterly embarrassed when they started throwing food.

I sank further in my seat when Fili and Kili hurdled food across the table, nearly hitting Elrond across the other side while others banged their silverware on the table in time with Bofur's stomping boots.

The look Elrond was giving Gandalf as he sat next to him in his ornate chair made me want to die and I gave him an apologetic smile that I'm sure he didn't see. His mouth was agape and the other elves were looking around, unsure what they could possibly do with the merry dwarves that had turned the formal dinner into a rowdy party.

Somehow I made it out of the fray unscathed, mostly by sinking as far under the table as I could manage. The dwarves were later escorted to their rooms by tense elves with their lips draw in thin lines.

I slept like the dead that night in a room that had been provided by the elves with a real bed. The room was cozy, like a five star motel with a wooden chest at the end of a carved bed and intricate designs were set into the stone walls. There was a small window with wooden shutters, giving the room light and adding to its organic quality. I heard the others had been separated into small groups in their own rooms. The way they acted around the elves had me thinking they would be leaving as soon as the sun came up but Thorin had said something about needing to stay a week to wait on a certain moon which had been music to my ears. It meant I didn't have to say goodbye to the rowdy dwarves just yet.

The halls were quiet though they were well occupied by elves strolling about. I was still amazed at how each one of them looked like a long legged model, even the guys. They were a little too pretty and clean like porcelain dolls for my liking and something about their air was unearthly, uncomfortable and unreal. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end even though I knew it was unfounded. I played with the sleeves of my dress and worried the bandages beneath and stopped one of the elves to ask if they knew where the dwarves were.

I was directed to the training grounds and left standing at the edge of a patted down dirt arena. I didn't count but there were plenty of dwarves there, spinning as they sparred and raked steel against steel as they battled each other with giant grins on their freshly braided, bearded faces. I spotted Fili fighting a wooden dummy, slicing his daggers into the thick bark that was scarred with notches and Kili was shooting his arrows into an identical target a few feet away. I was drawn to his activity.

"You're very good." I noted the second he let loose an arrow and hit the target at the top where a head might have been.

Kili spun in surprise but grinned upon seeing me. "Meg, glad to see you up and well."

"How long have you been shooting with a bow and arrow?" He looked excited the moment I mentioned it and maybe a little too proud.

"Since I was little. I find it more agreeable than a sword or ax."

"Do you hunt with it?"

His nostrils flared. "Of course. How else would I be able to fight moving targets?"

I hummed. "What's the biggest deer you've taken down?"

Kili threw his bow over his shoulder and had the widest grin yet while puffing out his chest.

"There was once one the size of a horse. There was so much meat I had to give it away before it spoiled, not even Fili and my uncle combined could eat all of it."

I scoffed. "I don't think deer as big as horses exist unless you're talking about a miniature pony. That's not what I meant anyway. What's the best amount of points you've bagged?"

Kili's smile dragged with confusion. "Points? Like in a game? A hunting game?"

"Yeah, the biggest I've gotten is eight points."

He leaned back as if I had socked him in the jaw. "You hunt? For sport?"

I nodded, grinning a little too much myself. "I do." He wore a frown and I had a sinking feeling he was offended.

"Where I'm from it's not really vital to hunt so when people do it's for sport. Of course whatever I shoot, I eat, and I only kill one or two deer a year."

The explanation seemed to somewhat placate whatever sour thought was running through his head. "I can't imagine a place where you don't have to hunt for food and even stranger that you would partake in it." Then he added an afterthought, "I didn't take you for the sort."

I shrugged, not thinking there was any particular sort. All you needed was marginal gun know-how and patience. "Can you show me how to use a bow?"

He was surprised all over again. "But you just said-"

"I tried it once but I prefer shotguns and rifles." I held my arms up, placing my left hand on an imaginary barrel and my right on the trigger. I closed my left eye and pretended the plastic and metal was resting on my shoulder near my right cheek.

I muttered through my imaginary sight, "Do you know how much it sucks to be left eye dominant but right handed?"

Kili shook his head. "You baffle me human, but yes, I shall show you."

He handed me his bow and it was weird how simple it looked compared to the hunting bows I had seen in the store. There was a specific design etched into it making a sort of diamond shape that that was reminiscent of a figure eight with sharp corners.

"First you need a stance. Spread out your feet and-are you sure you don't know how to do this already?"

I had spread my feet appropriately and I offered a sheepish smile. "I've done it a couple times but it's been years."

I don't think he was convinced though he soldiered on. "Hold it up like so."

He tapped my elbow and pushed it into position, straightening it so I reached for the wood. "Not bad. Now put the arrow here, use the notch in the wood to keep it seated on the string."

He stood so close during his instruction that I could feel heat coming from his body. My cheeks reddened, I wasn't used to anyone being this close, let alone a not so bad looking guy. I focused harder on the task of positioning my arms correctly.

Kili leaned forward, sighting down my arm and whispered with intense concentration, "Now just focus on the target, clear your mind, and pull the arrow back. Breath out when you do so and make sure you don't close your eyes." He stepped back and I took a deep breath.

I gripped the wood tightly and used my right arm to pull back on the arrow, two fingers wrapped around the feathers on the end. I pulled too fast and too hard. I yelped, dropping the bow and arrow when a ripping pain shot through my arm.

"Ow, ow, ow. Shit that stings. Fuck."

"Meg! I'm so sorry, I forgot about your injuries, forgive me. It's not worse is it? I'll get Oin." Kili looked around wildly and bent forward like he wanted to grab my arm but faltered.

"What happened?" Fili was on us in seconds, breathing heavily with his hairline slick with sweat from practicing. His blue eyes were huge and darting between Kili and I.

I held my stinging arm as I waited for the pain to subside. I'm pretty sure I ripped a couple of the wounds open because I could feel a wet sensation spreading under the bandages that were wound tightly around my hidden arm.

"We both forgot about my arm," I cringed and gave Kili an apologetic look.

Fili sheathed the swords he had been gripping and approached to carefully prod the palm of my hand. "Allow me?" He asked uncertainly.

I nodded and let him gingerly lift up my arm and pull back the sleeve. He frowned at the sight of the bandages stained with blotches of bright red.

"Oin!" Fili shouted across the ground where the other dwarves were watching in tense silence.

"Eh?" Oin lifted his trumpet to his ear and Balin, who had stepped out from behind a pillar where he had been watching the dwarves, gave Oin a light shove.

"The lady needs your healing abilities." Balin was able to make Oin understand and the gray haired dwarf came quickly to where I stood with the brothers.

Kili looked horribly nervous and Fili shot him a look I couldn't see, but it made Kili look away and at the ground.

Fili handed my hand off to Oin who gingerly palpated the wound, ghosting his touch over the rough bandages.

"We might as well clean the wound and rewrap it while it bleeds. I'm afraid I'm missing many of my supplies from when the ponies disappeared but we'll make do."

"That won't be necessary master dwarf." Oin, Fili, and Kili glared up at Elrond walking from behind pillars to the flat training ground.

"And why not?" Fili asked defensively, placing a hand on his sword's hilt.

"Because we have plenty of supplies to treat the wounded. It will not take long and you may keep your supplies for when they are most needed. If you wish I can have your healing medicines restocked." Elrond offered.

"I think we can manage to treat our own." Fili said darkly.

Their own? What was that supposed to mean? They didn't own me, they barely knew me.

I butt in before Fili could offend the elves that were being so hospitable. "It's fine. I just need a bandage, it's not a big deal."

I pulled away from Oin, careful not to bend my arm and stepped forward only to hear the dwarves follow a couple steps.

"If you don't mind I'll take your offer." I tried to be reasonable.

"Then please, come with me." Elrond stretched his arm out to the side and beckoned me forward.

I threw a smile back at the dwarves, trying to convey I wasn't mad at them or trying to offend them. They had done enough already and I had been wanting to talk to Elrond anyway. They were frowning of course and Kili looked horribly guilty.

I followed beside Elrond and I covered my arm with the dress sleeve.

When we were out of ear shot of the training grounds I asked the tall elf, "Why do they hate you so much?"

He smiled down at me, decidedly amused. "Their hatred lies with a different elf, I am merely disliked out of association. Dwarves do not forgive or forget easily."

That didn't make sense at all and I couldn't help but feel he was skirting around telling the truth. "I have a question."

His stare bore into mine, I wasn't used to getting anyone's full attention, it made me fidget with the bandage. "In private?"

He cocked his head. "Very well."

His interest had been piqued and he led me to a new room and shut the door behind us. It looked like an office of sorts with a desk overflowing with parchment and an old fashion quill set off to the side, hanging out of a large jar filled with black ink.

What really caught my eye was a very tall elf, slender in the form of a woman looking out over the room's massive balcony overlooking the city with her back to me. A white hue shone around her and she slowly turned in her flowing dress to face me with a smile lined by soft middle aged wrinkles.

"Welcome. I have been meaning to speak with you."

I took a step back.

"Do not be alarmed. I sense there is much you want to tell me."

I glanced at Elrond who bowed and backed out of the room. The bastard had meant to bring me here all along.

"Indeed he did for I asked him to bring you to me."

I jumped and remembered sourly that she could read minds. I couldn't remember her name but her face and the way she held herself was unmistakable.

"My name is Galadriel. I sense you are not originally apart of this world though I do not know how this can be. You look like any other child of men yet you are not."

I hated when people spoke in riddles. I assumed she was talking about where I came from which was definitely not middle earth. I remembered characters often came to her for help and thought I might as well spill the beans now than later. She would find out even if I said nothing out loud.

"I'm not from here. I don't know if it's a different world or time but nothing here is like where I live. I went for a hike in the woods and I came to stone circle. After that everything went weird and I ran into the dwarves and some trolls – and neither of those things exist where I come from, nor do elves."

"A stone circle…And you wish to return from wince you came?" She asked as if she already knew the answer.

"If I can."

"But you also do not."

I scowled, not even bothering to comment. Of course I was torn on going back but I knew I would have to go back. It wasn't a question whether I wanted to.

"But you do have a choice."

Goddamn it stop reading my mind. "Are you saying you know how to send me back?"

"Perhaps, but it would be wise to ask yourself why you are here in the first place."

That sounded dumb, not wise. There was no way I could know why I was here short of a little fairy whispering in my ear like I was some psychiatric patient.

"Gandalf believes you are meant to help the dwarves on their quest and that your being here was not a mere coincidence."

"I doubt it." I grumbled, not feeling the least bit amused by her suggestion that I was here by fate.

"_But I believe you are."_ Galadriel's words echoed in my head while a strange elf bandaged my arm that was newly smothered with a pain killing sort of herby goo.

My meeting with Galadriel had left a sour taste in my mouth and an uncomfortable buzzing of thoughts in my head.

"All finished. Next time wait for the wounds to heal before picking up a weapon." The elf woman scolded as if I were a child.

I pursed my lips. "I won't."

She sent me off to dinner where I had eaten with the dwarves the previous night. When I saw the trickle of familiar bearded faces all sweaty from practicing from the day. I was beckoned over by Balin who was on his way to the table that was still being set with food. He met me half way and looked up and down my person.

"Feeling better Miss Megara?"

I groaned at his use of my full name but knew better than to correct the old dwarf who was set in his ways.

"Pretty good. The stuff they put on my arm feels gross but it works."

He chuckled. "Glad to hear it." He pat my lower back with his gloved hand and went to take a seat at the table.

During the meal I caught a glimpse of Kili on the far table and noted he purposely kept his eyes averted from mine, never once looking over to the table where I sat at between Ori and the end of the table. I made a point not to sit next to Dori but the dwarf ended up sitting directly across the table and was harassing me about my family's status. I left early, stating I wasn't very hungry after barely touching the veggies on my plate. I never really liked vegetables anyway.


	5. Chapter 5

**I apologize for the wait. I kept rewriting chunks of this chapter and it kept expanding of its own volition. **

**I want to give a special thank you to 1XxKiraXx1, filimeala, Vaughn Tyler, Rookie Cookie Baked Crispy, and Vanafindiel for reviewing. Your comments keep me going more than you know.**

**vanafindiel was kind enough pointed out flaws in chapter one and I would encourage anyone else to do the same if they spots errors. I'm the only one editing this fic so dumb mistakes have a habit of slipping by without my notice so all pointers and ideas y'all come up with are always welcome. **

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><p>I spent the next day sleeping the morning away and taking a long, steam curling bath. Lanthel showed me how to brush my teeth with leaves and a few other hygiene essentials she was more than happy to explain with great detail. She seemed surprised by my eagerness to clean up and said it was a very elvish trait the race of men rarely shared. I tried not to be offended but she saw right through my scowl and sang what might have been considered an apology in her mind.<p>

Dear child of the race of men

How red you turn

I shan't' have asked

But among the mountain folk

Bathing simply is not so

If I had been less flabbergasted by her spontaneous song I might have caught the jesting insult made on account of the dwarves. The elves had made it clear they disliked the dwarves about as much as the dwarves loathed them. At current, I was trying to process how the stoic, beautiful elf that fit the strong silent type prevalent to elves in the films could be capable of impish behavior.

"You look at me as if it were not true!" Lanthel laughed and I looked the other way to avoid commenting.

"I can hardly imagine how you could travel with the dwarves if you were bothered by cleanliness." Lanthel added with amused disdain while brushing out my hair.

I had given up on keeping her away from my head. The elf maiden was careful not to pull at snags and it was a little difficult to do the simplest tasks when I could only bend my arm so much before dormant pain came back with a vengeance.

"They could do with more baths," I agreed.

The lot of them had smelled pretty ripe when I came across them and they had a habit of dropping food and drink all over their beards and any dangling hair that happened to get in the way. They hardly took notice and would sometimes leave crumbs there, not even bothering to wipe them away.

"Valar, you must tell, why do you travel with such uncouth companions?"

Somehow I knew we would end up here before the day was over. Lanthel had the mind to think I should tell her why I was with the dwarves and where they were going. She asked after Gandalf and Bilbo just as much.

"I'm on my way home." Her insistence made me less inclined to tell her with each unsubtle push. The more she asked, the further I retreated into a shell and my answers became more short and curt until it had come to this one simple sentence.

By large my reluctance was thanks to Galadriel. The omniscient elf had left me with frustration and confusion about my being here in middle earth. Her insistence that I wanted to stay was vexing and Lanthel had the same trait of assuming how I should feel all the while demanding more answers to what she claimed was her right to know.

"Do you know when my clothes will be ready?"

Lanthel was puzzled for a moment. It always took her a moment to recover and change gears whenever I derailed the topic.

"As I explained before, it will take a couple days so I cannot say. I can visit the tailor later this evening to see how far along repairs are progressing."

My t-shirt and jeans had not suffered damage from the attack, only my jacket. I doubted it took days to wash a little dirt and sweat out of them. The only reason I kept from immediately demanding them was because I did not want to offend the people who had my clothing hostage.

My wounds were redressed and I was amazed at how fast the scratches were healing. I was lucky the warg had been in such a frenzy that it didn't think to get any real kind of hold of my limbs besides flailing at whatever it could reach to rotate my head in just the right position to be snapped off. The shallow gashes were already scabbing over when it should not have been physically possible, but there it was. Maybe the elves had been using their voodoo magic to make them heal faster. The doctoring elves did always muttered something when they tended to my arm, making a near ritual out of tracing the scratches with healing plant goop.

Lanthel eventually bid me a good afternoon, leaving me sitting in an airy hall with a pear and butter knife after Lanthel had insisted I eat something. The visage of Rivendell was a sight to behold. The elves took special care to make sure every hall was high ceilinged and looked out on the valley. There was rarely a space you could walk that was not opened to the outside in some way. Flowers grew in every corner there was dirt, well groomed and brilliant with spring colors, mixing with the deep green of the forest out beyond the city.

The structures of the city itself were gorgeous with remarkable architecture reminiscent of ancient Rome but with a more elegant feel to it; sharp but not gothic. The elves were fond of spindly carvings of bare tree branches and woodland creatures, particularly giant deer. The bench I sat on was a piece of art on its own. The white stone was hollowed at the sides to give the impression of tree branches holding it up and there were birds perched upon the solid pictorials that took the 3-D design onto a 2-D plane and wrapped around the front of the seat to continue the illusion.

The elves floating around the halls, perfectly at ease walking with purpose were unapproachable. They pretended I was not there and I was glad for it. They were aliens with stoic faces that were meant to be divine but their perfection fell flat to my eyes. They were too much like air brushed and heavily photoshopped models in a magazine. The entire city and its magical feel was easy to write off as a conjured dream though deep down I knew it was not.

The atmosphere of Rivendell was nice to relax in but it was a little too quiet. There were birds chirping and a low buzz of insects but it wasn't the same as hearing the constant chatter of a TV; I missed the artificial sounds of an air conditioner and whirring of my computer. I lamented the lack of internet more than anything. Without it I didn't know what to do with myself.

Movement in the bend of the hall made me look up just in time to see something small dart behind a pillar. Whoever they were they weren't very good at hiding because their foot was sticking out.

"Who's there?" I called out. "I can still see you, you know."

A matt of dark hair and curious blue eyes peeked out from behind a white arch. It was a boy, probably around ten years of age. He looked ungainly, all thin and awkward yet pudgy in other places, not at all like an elf.

"I don't bite." I said after he ducked back into hiding.

He slowly came back out and crept towards me, muttering something foreign.

"Sorry, I don't speak elf."

He leaned forward eagerly. "Are you an Atani?"

"A…what?" I blinked. That wasn't my name.

The boy looked even more embarrassed. "Of the race of men."

"Oh…Yeah, I'm human."

The kid nodded and smiled a little brighter, a large, gap toothed grin, and gained enough courage to come stand by my bench. I patted it, inviting him to join me and he did so with a vigorous wriggle of his bottom to scoot his back up against the wall.

"What's your name?" I asked him a bit stiffly. I wasn't sure how people were supposed to deal with kids.

"Estel," he said while kicking out his dangling legs.

"Are you a human too?" I asked curiously.

He nodded, hitting his chin against his chest while his head bobbed. "Yes. I'm the only one here."

"_You poor boy,"_ I thought, and imagined the pressure he must feel as an awkward, snotting little kid among all the perfect elves.

"You're the first Atani I've ever seen…I think." His face scrunched up in confusion at an elusive memory.

Atani must have been an elvish word for human, I concluded, and I was a little surprised he was the only other one around. He must have been adopted from a young age. It seemed odd but not out of the question, I could not see why it would never happen.

His face looked ready to burst from trying to remember something when I asked, "How did you know I wasn't an elf?"

He tiled his head, his face going soft and his eyes shining with curiosity. "You're different. Your hair is messy and-and you sit funny."

I straightened from my slouch unconsciously. "Sit funny?" I balked.

"You don't have pointy ears."

I cupped the round protrusions on my head.

"Elf ears are weird," I scoffed.

Estel giggled and I reached out and pinched his ear. "Yours are kind of pointed. Are you sure you're not half elf? You fit the weird bill."

"He swatted me away. "I am not weird," he huffed in dismay.

I grinned. "Sure you are. You're a weird little person."

"I am not weird!" He insisted as venomously as an insulted child could manage. "I'm not an elf, but so what?!"

The burst of hurt in his red face was hard to miss, even I could tell I had hit a sore spot.

For a moment I was not sure what we were talking about anymore. Comparing humans and elves sounded petty and the matter Estel was lashing out about not being an elf had to be the strangest conversation I had ever been a part of; it almost felt like we were comparing breeds of dogs and that did not sit well with me at all.

"It doesn't matter if you're an elf or not," I said confidently despite knowing it was not true.

The elves were odd, it was apparent they had customs and ways of life that were vastly different, yet not. I remembered from somewhere that elves lived for thousands of years and that kind of experience gap between them and everyone else who lived 100 years or less could make anyone feel alienated.

My mouth kept running, peeling rushing thoughts from my brain faster than I could sort them. "Be however you want and don't let what you are effect that."

I might have slow clapped myself for the mildly inspirational and a grown words.

Estel took my words seriously even if he did not fully understand them.

"Anything? I can be anything and it won't matter?"

I recited what I had been told since entering college even if those words were continually contradicted by the same people who originally voiced them. "Anything you want, so long as it makes you happy."

His face twisted in concentration then Estel jumped up to stand on the bench and roared fiercely, "I wanna be, the best hunter!"

"I see Estel has found a new friend."

Estel dropped back onto the seat so fast he made a loud smack with his landing.

I stood sharply at spotting Elrond radiating his usual regal presence. Humor danced in his eyes and a soft smile rested on his lips.

"He came out of nowhere," I shrugged.

"I didn't come out of nowheres! I came from my room!" Estel protested.

"Nowhere, Estel, and you should be in the study," Elrond chided and Estel dipped his head in shame. "Come. You may play with Miss Meg later."

"I can?" He asked Elrond hopefully.

"You may," the elder elf said calmly.

"Bye Atani!" Estel waved an extra enthusiastic chubby hand that I stiffly mimicked before he ran to Elrond.

"I bid you a good rest of the afternoon." Elrond give me a pointed smile and led Estel away while ruffling his mop of hair as the kid clung to his robes.

I flushed, feeling like I had been caught doing something I should not have, and scarfed the rest of my pear, not bothering to use the knife I had been provided.

I wandered the elven halls for a while longer, having no idea what to do with myself. I probably could have bothered the dwarves, there was sure to be one or two sparring, but I wouldn't be able to do more than watch and that would be just as boring. At some point I stopped to stare down into the valley which had a fast flowing river running through it, fed by the waterfall Rivendell was perched over and around.

_Thunk_.

I held my head and looked back sharply.

"Up here," A voice said with amusement.

I craned my neck and saw a furry mass of yellow and brown perched happily in the braches of a pear tree. I picked up the pear that had been dropped on my head and gave the smug dwarf an unamused huff, then hurled the pear at his face.

He blocked it with his arm crying a small 'hey,' and the fruit flew to the ground with a bruising splat.

Throwing the pear had made me look higher and there I saw Ori nestled in the branches. The red headed dwarf has his nose buried in a sketchbook, mouth wide open in concentration, and looked up periodically between his scribbling to scrutinize a hanging pear.

"Climbing trees?" I thought dwarves were dense, stocky folk who lived deep in mountains; they hardly seemed the tree climbing type.

"I thought I would take in the view from a different angle, but I find I quite rater like my feet on the ground." Fili slid from the branches and dropped a fair amount of feet to the ground.

I made to cross my arms but flinched when the movement tore at the wounds with an uncomfortable twinge. "I don't think the elves would appreciate you destroying their fruit trees." I rushed out to cover my discomfort.

Fili scoffed, looking right perturbed. "The elves do not appreciate fun. They would rather lounge around and sing songs of insults."

I wasn't sure about the lounging around part since the elves always seemed busy with one thing or another but Lanthel proved they were plenty capable of dishing out insults.

"But you do?" I hinted at his so called fun appreciation.

His blue eyes sparked with practiced mischievousness, the sharp change in his features revealed just how much he had been scowling. "Of course."

"Don't listen to him Miss Meg. He will get you into right trouble he will," Ori warned in a condescending tone that made it sound Fili was marginally notorious

I full heartedly believed the red head and appreciated the warning.

"Dully noted…are you drawing pictures of fruit?" I tried to steer the conversation out of Fili's hands in case he was up to something if Ori's assessment had hinted toward anything.

Ori repeatedly bounced the eraser end of his pencil against his book. "Not just the fruit. I need the details to finish a bigger picture."

Who knew there were artists in such a burly group? Granted, Ori was the furthest thing from burly. He was about as vicious as I was and during the orc attack it been apparent he was no fighter. His slingshot had not so much as nicked the wargs and Nori had to run in swinging with daggers to save the scared-out-of-his-mind dwarf.

"You don't seem the artsy type," I pointed out to Fili. It was my nice way of asking _'what are you doing here?'_

Indeed he looked the part of a warrior and had shown off his skill at wielding two blades at once. He had a mean throwing arm to boot when he needed to take something out from afar with throwing daggers. Speaking of, I needed to find a way to apologize to Dwalin for losing his. The blade had wedged itself in the roof the warg's mouth and there had not been time think about digging it out.

"Artsy?" Fili looked right confused so I pointed at Ori.

"You like to draw?" I asked, though he was obviously lacking his own sketchbook and pencil.

I saw understanding dawn on his face. "Ori was determined to catalogue Rivendell though no one would let him wander alone, or help. He asked me to accompany him and I had nothing better to do with Kili locking himself in his room and all." He said the last part with no small amount of disdain and Kili's downturned gaze and hurt eyes flashed in my memory.

"He's still beating himself up over what happened yesterday?" It might have been to presumptions to assume I had been the cause of his moping but there was no other reason I could come up with.

Fili's blue eyes flashed with worried alarm. "He beat himself?"

His panic was contagious jolt. "No!" I affirmed. "I just mean he won't stop blaming himself. He didn't literally beat himself." At least I hoped he had not.

A smidgen of tension left him. "He went in our room last night and locked it. I have not been able to see him since."

Fili clenched his fists in exasperation then gave me a pointed look. "Speak to my brother. I cannot stand his self-loathing for another night and I should like to sleep in an actual bed."

"You can have mine. I told you it was yours if you wanted it." Ori offered.

Fili looked back at Ori sternly and a little vexed. "No. The floor was fine, and I hope to leave your brother's in peace tonight."

"I will talk to him," I cut in, "though I don't see what he has to feel sorry about."

A person locking themselves in their room over something they didn't even do was borderline ridiculous and the notion I was the cause of it didn't sit well with me. I wasn't used to people running away. Shouting and belittling were the only sorts of arguments I was used to and this had not been an argument. I wasn't sure how to approach to problem other than telling Kili he had done nothing wrong.

"I would not ask this of you if it were not important." Fili was serious, deathly serious.

"I'll tell him it was no big deal." I confirmed. "I promise."

Fili appeared lighter at my words. "Thank you."

I would have sought out Kili even if Fili hadn't asked. The mere remembrance of the way Kili had shamefully shrunk into himself left an irritating feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"No sweat."

Fili wrinkled his brow and Ori's eyes unfocused.

"I do not mean to be rude miss, but I have a hard time understanding what you say most of the time." Ori politely told me and Fili puckered his lips, nodding in agreement.

I found it hard to be mad at the red head but Fili was fair game with that cheeky grin of his that his braided mustache tended to cling to.

"Oh, and you never sound strange?" Fili was about to laugh or point out something I was sure would not be entirely true when I added, "Y'all have some weird phrases yourselves."

On multiple occasions the dwarves had mentioned utensils or object that I had no idea what they meant and the excuse that they were speaking in elvish or some other foreign language was absent. They spoke English plain as day but said such things as 'jacksy', 'dwarrow', and occasionally exclaimed, 'Mahal!' All of which were foreign to my knowledge.

"What is yell? You say it quite frequently in the oddest ways." Ori inquired.

It took a second to realize what he meant. "It's slang for you all."

Ori looked up with interest and mustered a little more courage. "What is slang? Is it your native tongue?"

I snorted and Ori shuffled his feet, probably thinking he had said something offensive. Fili only appeared confused by the reaction.

I was getting the feeling no one spoke slang around here and preferred proper terms only. Most of the dwarves and elves had no idea I was cussing more than half the time - only Gloin seemed to notice and even then I didn't think he knew their meaning - and any references I made went right over everyone's heads like a gust of air. I probably sounded like lunatic more than half the time.

I probably should have been explaining things earlier but better now than never. "Slang isn't a language. All it means is someone smashed two or more words into one slurred sound, and sometimes they catch on and become common replacements for those original words."

"That sounds so uncivilized." Ori's eyes went wide. "I'm sorry. That was rude. Forgive me."

I was surprised Fili was so willing to let Ori cower behind him, or more so tried to hide his shame, and simply listened to the conversation with interest, though Fili did fix me with an unreadable look when Ori apologized.

I smirked at the verecund dwarf, more than a little amused he thought bashing slang was at a caliber of being insulting. "Don't be. It takes a lot to insult me and I don't mind. Tell it like it is."

Ori lit up and stood a little straighter. "Thank you Miss Meg. I will try not to bother you with too many."

The minute he said that, I knew I was going to be eating what I had thought had been a benign invitation.

"Now there is a concept!" Fili said louder than necessary and I could see the previous frustration rear its ugly head. "If only others would speak so plainly then things would be much easier."

Several elves that were passing through shot him dissatisfied scowls but kept silent until they were gone. I was sure he was referring to Kili though the elves would obviously think otherwise.

"I've finished if you want to head back. I bet dinner will be ready soon." Ori's mention of food brought a fleeting smile to Fili, probably the effect the younger dwarf was going for.

"Of more greens no doubt." Fili said grumpily and I had to agree.

"Do you think they will have chips this time?" Ori was hopeful until Fili crushed his dreams.

"I doubt it," the dwarf said with lowered expectation.

"I saw some eggs, though they were smaller than a golf ball," I offered but it only dampened their spirits further.

Despite Fili and Ori's intentions to head straight to the food courtyard I broke from them halfway without their noticing and went back to my room. I had the intention of washing my face and stalling to see if Lanthel had brought my clothes back. The waiting was getting to be torture since Lanthel refused to provide me with nothing but dresses. I wanted my jeans back. I missed the feel of the material and the sense of identity they gave. As ridiculous as it sounded dresses to me were cages. I felt far from pretty in them and instead had burning, conscious feeling of being exposed and vulnerable. Sometimes I felt a burning jealously when I saw someone looking beautiful or cute in dresses and wistfully wanted to look the same, if only fleetingly, but they weren't meant for me.

The trip to my room lasted longer than I had meant it to be. I lingered past dinner time and before I knew it the sun had set. It was not such a big deal, physically. I often ate large lunches then skipped dinner because time would slip by until it was time to sleep. A chastising voice in my head told me that was not the case this time and I was making excuses. I was being a coward, running away from the dwarves and elves. It was probably right, as usual.

The feeling nagged long enough in silence of the dark room that I steeled the nerve to leave. I had to keep my promise or I would never be able to sleep.

I found the merry company of dwarves sitting around a fire in a courtyard, chatting and singing, and smoking pipes that smelled a far cry from normal tobacco if the smoker's relaxed and almost dopey faces were anything to go by. I was careful to stay out of the fumes and took the first open seat I could find.

"Good to see you lassie. I hope the elves are treating you fair. I couldn't help notice you were absent at dinner. Here you are! This should fill you right up." Bofur held out a piece of sausage still warm from a small fire he had going. My mouth watered at the aroma and I took it off the utensil it was speared on.

"Thanks." I devoured it, savoring the juices that exploded in my mouth.

"Bombur, catch." Bofur threw a second, well charred sausage at the ginger dwarf who sat on a creaking chair with a plate full of food he was stuffing his face with. Bombur caught the sausage and its miniscule addition of weight was just the right amount to break the wooden seat right down the middle. He crashed to the ground, falling ungracefully backwards like a wobble doll with the food from his plate rolled off his large stomach. The company burst into hysterics and I couldn't help snickering despite feeling bad for the guy who struggled to right himself with bulging eyes.

I leaned back to the dwarf who was behind Bofur, Bifur. He was an older dwarf with unruly black and white hair and an equally long beard.

"What is that?" I asked curiously as he fiddled with something tiny compared to his hulking hands.

He responded in a rough language that sounded like a love child of German and Russian and held up a small contraption. It was a wooden bird laced with taught strings with fine carvings of abstract designs on its body and wings. He pulled on a string, making its wings flap, and he grinned at my quizzical look.

"That's neat. Did you make it yourself?" He nodded and said something else in that weird tongue of his.

"I'm impressed." It was odd seeing such an old fashion toy without plastic or batteries.

He smacked his chest proudly with a fist then went back to etching small designs with steady hands.

"Do it now or so help me brother I will tell Thorin." Fili whispered harshly, and none too quietly.

I sat up on alert. Fili was dragging an angry looking Kili who twisted and clawed at his brother anywhere his hands could reach before they were shrugged off.

"Fili! No!" Kili tried to pull away, and though he was taller, his brother was stronger. "I can't-I can't. Stop."

"You can and you will." Fili raised his voice and shoved Kili to stand directly in front of me. "Kili here has something to say."

"I should probably help Bombur out." Bofur said quickly and scrambled to the ginger dwarf who was still picking food off his great braided beard necklace.

Shame and a chastising voice in the back of my head flood back with full force. I had promised to remedy things with his brother yet Fili had to be the one to make the conversation happen.

"How is your arm? Better I hope?" Kili worried the hem of his sleeve and gave sheepish smile.

I forced myself to calm down and appear relaxed. "It's fine, it wasn't your fault. The elves' medicine was working a little too good and I forgot I was even hurt."

"You see Kili? There was nothing to worry about." Fili chastised and Kili shot his older brother a scathing glare.

"I hope you heal quickly." Kili amended and tried to flee but his brother held him firmly and gave me a pointed look, making it apparent it would take more than that to make Kili see reason.

"I'm up for practicing tomorrow if you'll show me how to use a bow again." I meant what I said. I couldn't spend another day wandering around doing nothing.

Kili paused and gaped me. "But your wound-"

"Is almost healed. I won't bleed out tomorrow, I promise."

"You should rest."

Why was he so concerned? "No way."

Kili looked to his brother who lifted his brows and perked his head up in encouragement but said nothing.

"If Oin says you're good tomorrow then I suppose there would be no harm." Kili then gathered extra strength in his voice and tried to sound commanding. "You better be sure you are healed first."

I nodded, finding his failure at looking stern more than a little humorous. He really did flee then, turning around so fast his thick brown hair swung sideways and he marched away.

"That was easier than I expected, though I don't think he's done, ah, beating himself down yet."

"Beating up," I corrected.

Fili shrugged, then turned serious again. "You better show up tomorrow or I will personally drag you to training."

I didn't understand where these flashes of hostility and commanding tones were coming from, he was much better at it than his brother, and I did not appreciate them.

"You can try." I retaliated automatically.

His eyes flickered. "Believe me. I will hardly have to try."

I stood up and for once thanked my height advantage. Fili was almost half a foot shorter than I was but he was good at bristling outward and flaring his impossibly wide shoulders to appear bigger.

"You wouldn't dare," I growled lowly.

The scowl he bore radiated like coolly glowing coals. "I do not make false promises when it comes to my brother. If you hurt him I will not stand idly by."

In the back of my head I knew I shouldn't be this wound up so quickly but the tone had flipped a well-used switch and I snapped.

"When have I tried to hurt him? If you don't remember I promised to set things straight, and I did."

"Only when I forced it out of you." He simmered. "I could not help but notice you kept well away from dinner."

The meal would have been the logical time to approach Kili and tell him everything was fine but I had messed that up by hesitating. I had thought about asking where his room was so I could catch him there before I went to bed so Fili's accusation was unfounded

I seethed even though he was right. "I still would have done it."

Fili was wholly unconvinced. "Would you?"

"Yes!" I snapped. "Because I keep my promises!"

Fili's eyes darkened. "Promises are easily broken amongst the race of men."

I reeled. If there was one thing I prided myself in it was keeping secrets and promises. A good friend of mine once told me she used to self-harm and panicked immediately after revealing her darkest feelings. I swore I would never tell a soul, and though I hadn't seen her since middle school and probably never would again, if someone asked me now though they would likely never meet her, I would still take that information to my grave.

"What kind of bullshit are you talking about?" I said though clenched teeth.

"That would be enough."

A shadow loomed over us and it was impossible to ignore Dwalin's firm glower and the look that promised was ready to give a firm beating. Fili's eyes darting between us before he respectfully left in a quiet storm. I made to do the same but Dwalin's massive tattooed arm stopped me as firmly as a wall of steel.

"You will do well to watch yourself, and know that I stand with the lads."

My hazel eyes lit on his fierce scowl of disapproval. None of this was his business. A small rational part of me remembered about his weapon.

"I'm sorry about your dagger. I think the warg ate it." I said none too nicely.

"Weapons can be replaced." He replied coldly.

I huffed like an angry horse and stepped around him. He let me go but not without his and others stares and disapproving scowls watching me leave the courtyard.

The dwarves could be suffocating with their distrustful gazes and I was starting to think they had short tempers to boot. I breathed deeply when I entered an empty hallway. It was like coming up for air after a deep dive.

What surprised me out of my brooding was seeing Bilbo by a staircase, looking out over a balcony and viewing the storybook city below that was lit by lanterns and stars from the sky. The amount of twinkling balls of gas in this world always gave me pause. I had always wished to see the full night sky outside of a heavily light polluted city and I was not disappointed. The first time I had woken up and noticed them I had sat for a moment, marveling at the expanse of stars smeared over the black sky. They were striking but also a cold reminder for I couldn't pick out a single familiar constellation. It drove home that this world was alien and I didn't belong in it.

I tore my gaze from the sky and approached the solemn hobbit. Despite being more familiar with Bilbo's name and face than the others before coming to middle earth I had hardly spoken a word with him. I thought it would be a good time to introduce myself.

"Good evening." I greeted in what I hoped was a cheerful, welcoming tone. He jumped a little and waved awkwardly before clasping his hands together and pushing them stiffly into his thighs and looked forward again.

"Good evening," he replied in a none too welcoming tone that told me he would rather not have company.

I followed his line of site and saw Gandalf walking with Elrond a level below the balcony.

"A strain of madness runs deep in that family." Elrond said gravely, stopping Gandalf in his tracks. "His grandfather lost his mind, his father succumbed to the same sickness. You swear Thorin Oakenshield will not also fall?" Elrond demanded.

He made it sound the gray wizard already knew the answer. Elrond was demanding an explanation or a better reasoning than an answer Gandalf might have already given.

I looked to Bilbo, wondering if he knew what they were talking about. Did Thorin's family have a history with a certain medical condition like dementia or alzheimer's?

"Is something wrong with Thorin?" I asked in curiosity.

Bilbo shook his head vigorously, mouthing 'no'.

"I am sound of mind and body. Why are you still up?" I had missed short, dark, and brooding leaning in the shadows of the staircase. Lately I had only seen him at dinner, sitting with Gandalf and Elrond at the 'special' table while conversing in quiet voices. The dwarf still looked immensely displeased at being in Rivendell.

"That's good," I mused. "Fili and Kili would be upset if there was."

"Don't speak of them as if you know them."

"I don't." I said, and wondered where the snappish remark had come from.

If tonight taught me anything it was that I knew absolutely nothing about the brothers other than Fili could be infuriating.

Thorin held my gaze, searching for something.

"I wanted to thank you." That seemed to throw him off.

"For what?" He sounded as if I were holding something precious hostage from him.

"For not leaving me to die."

He dipped his chin but his dark eyes never left mine. "My kind is not so cold blooded as to willingly leave another to the fate of trolls or orcs." There was something scathing about his words but I felt the anger wasn't directed towards me. Actually, most of the time his anger seemed to be directed to an outside source and everyone else just received the brunt of it because he couldn't take it out on whatever it was.

I could have scoffed but I kept my expression was stony instead. Thorin was more than willing to leave me behind when we first met, but he more than made up for his words with his actions.

"I think I know that now."

He unfurled himself from his leaning position. "Go to bed."

"_Charming."_ I thought as he walked away. "_Such a great conversationalist._"

I looked at Bilbo who was trying to look engaged anywhere but where Thorin and I had been talking. He rocked and bounced a little on his heels while puckering his lips.

"What?" I asked him and received a stiff cough in response.

"I envy you sometimes Miss Magara."

I groaned, regretting ever telling them my full name. "Meg….Why?"

"My apologies, Meg." A nervous pause. "You get along with them so easily." It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out he was talking about the dwarves.

I watched him pat his hands against his trousers and wondered why he looked so put out, or was he scared? I wanted to snort and tell him I did anything but get along with them but that wasn't entirely true and I couldn't bring myself to say otherwise. My annoyance with Fili was already fading, I was never very good at holding grudges.

"They're…" _Loud, dirty, severely lacking table manners, like a group of loud frat boys, fun? _"Different."

Bilbo laughed airily, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. "That they are."

I watched him suspiciously and when I voiced my concern he nearly jumped a foot high as if my words had burned him. "What's wrong?"

"No-nothing's wrong. Why would you say that? Of course nothing's wrong. Everything is just dandy."

I glared at him and Bilbo Baggins shrank lower than his three foot something height.

"Please don't look at me like that. Everyone looks at me that way."

I huffed. "I'm not looking at you like anything. If something's bothering you I can lend an ear. I won't tell anyone, I swear." I gave a reassuring smile and he refused to look me straight in the eye.

He opened and closed him mouth several times, frowning and shaking his head. "Elrond said I could stay in Rivendell-stay with the elves." Bilbo rushed out.

"So you want to stay but feel you shouldn't?"

He jumped again. "How did you know?"

"Bilbo, I've never seen anyone wear their emotions on their shoulders as obviously as you do." It was true, his face melded like putty to every small thought racing through his curly head. Even now he looked horrified at this revelation. His mouth was agape and his head shook so fast his curls bounced.

His concerns were too much like mine to escape my notice and the conversation I had with Galadriel came unwillingly to the forefront.

"Calm down. You look like you're about to have a heart attack." I chided jokingly.

He stilled for a second then started bouncing faster than he had before. "I signed a contract. I'm obligated to go, but I don't know if I can take anymore. The trolls, orcs, near death experiences. I should have never left Bag End."

Bag End. That was where he and Frodo lived. I didn't know why but anytime I heard something I recognized from Lord of The Rings I felt a little calmer. The bits and pieces of information I knew about this world were sparse and mostly came from one instance in a time far from this one. In a way those bits of familiarity were anchors and reminders that I wasn't completely lost.

"I thought those would be the charming points," I grinned a bit more genuinely.

"You've been around Fili and Kili far too much."

What was with the Fili and Kili thing? Everyone was acting so defensive about them all of a sudden. "Maybe I'm just always like this."

Bilbo looked to the sky as if praying for the conversation to end. I wasn't about to give him that luxury.

"What kind of contract did you sign?"

If possible he looked even more nervous. "I don't think I'm allowed to say. Throin would probably have my head." He swallowed hard.

"It can't be that bad." I pressed but the look he gave me said _it was that bad_.

Now I had to know. "Tell me."

"I-I can't. I just can't Miss Meg. I'm sorry."

"It will make you feel better." He was fueling my burning curiosity in the worst way and now I would have to know one way or another.

Bilbo might have been ready to cave but an elf interrupted us.

"Perhaps it is not his to tell. Though it makes me want to know as well."

A tall male elf with blond hair stood at the top of the stairs and Bilbo looked so relieved that he might wee himself.

"No, no, it is not and I will not. Goodnight miss Meg!" Bilbo announced hotly and gave a slight bow to the elf who raised a quizzical brow that was reminiscent of Elrond's favorite look.

Bilbo stormed away and when I looked down Gandalf and Elrond were gone. I hadn't realized it at the time but a seed of dread had been planted inside me and little did I know, it would grow.


	6. Chapter 6

**Special mentions of the reviewers: Vaughn Tyler, Vanafindiel, and 1XxKiraXx1.**

* * *

><p>Dwalin and Gloin were exchanging blows while Bofur and Nori sat on the sidelines, cheering on the two warriors whose axes clashed with fearsome force between dodges and spins. Their weapons must have been heavy because each strike was a great heave brought down with a grunt or war cry that made me glad I wasn't on the receiving end. I would not have called their mock battle graceful or beautiful as novels and big cinema liked to portray, it was more like a boxing match that used sharp weapons of iron and steel instead of fists.<p>

"Is that the best you've got?! Come on! Show me what you're made of!" Gloin goaded the intensely concentrated Dwalin. If it were not for Gloin's giant grin I might have been tricked into believing they were really trying to kill each other.

Dwalin replied with a bellow and cleaved Gloin's ax, knocking it to the ground and took the great bearded dwarf with it when he refused to let go of the weapon. Dwalin's own ax swung back up and stopped just under Gloin's chin.

"Ahhh," Gloin huffed. "That was luck, nothing more. If the ground had been a little firmer I wouldn't have fallen so! Again!"

Bofur and Nori burst into laughter. "Luck had nothing to do with it," Nori pointed out, earning a low growl of disagreement from Gloin.

Bofur took his pipe out of his mouth just long enough to add unhelpfully, "It's best you admit Dwalin bested you again."

Gloin grumbled something under his breath and shooed Dwalin away when he tried to help him up. "I have two feet I can use, thank you! This dwarf does not need help figuring out whether he should be standing or not!"

The conversation didn't register to my deaf ears. My mind had wondered to home the moment I thought of movies and books. I had been thinking about it a lot since my conversation with Bilbo. Gandalf thought I was here to help these dwarves thought I couldn't for the life of me figure out how I would be of any help - then there was the slight problem that maybe I didn't want to go with them; I didn't even know where they were going or what kind of quest they were on. I cursed myself for never having read The Hobbit and focusing way too much on The Lord of the Rings.

It was disturbing how easily I accepted that I might be in a world that up until now only existed in a book. I supposed if I thought about it too much I might go mad. What I should be focusing on was getting home, that would be the next logical step, and that meant backtracking to the point where I first realized everything had turned upside down. That was part of the problem – the stone circle struck me as the culprit but I had doubts I would be able to find it again. When I was hiking on my parent's property two or three times a day I had taken the same route each time and there had never been any circle except in that one instance.

The strangest mystery was how the stone circle could have acted as a transport or a conduit. There had been no bright flash of light, no tingling or nauseating feeling; there was no indication of my displacement other than the surroundings slowly changing in a disorienting loss of direction and logical sense where I had been in the mountains - then next I looked up they were behind me.

Gloin's frustrated bellow snapped the threads of thoughts I had been chasing and the dwarf dug the shaft of his ax into the ground and laid his arms over the metal head. "My lad would be ashamed. I cannot even best the great Dwalin!"

Bofur and Nori's hooting was received with glowers but my attention turned to a quieter pair of dwarves who showed no interest in the display. Kili was contently witling a piece of wood into an arrow while Fili was sitting on a spectator bench nearby, taking sips from a water skin while his eyes occasionally scanned the area. I had a feeling I knew why, he was waiting for me to show up. I had been hanging out of site, trying to sort my thoughts and none of them knew I was lingering in the shadows.

I had wasted enough time so I backtracked down the hall and came out at a point before Fili and Kili. Fili noticed me immediately and his brows raised in either surprise or annoyance and I bristled.

"Morning." I said loud enough to gain Kili's attention.

Kili's stretching grin was nothing short of welcoming. "Meg, you're up already? Shouldn't you be resting?"

I gave him a _'duh' _look with my hands on my hips. "I've had more than enough rest."

I had been sleeping too much the last few days, my mother would be ashamed.

Kili put aside his work and picked up an elven bow that was taller and thinner than his own from a nearby rack. I went to take it but he pulled back before I could grab it, a smirk danced on his lips.

"You had Oin check your wounds, correct?"

"Yes," I lied with a sigh of exasperation.

The bandages came off this morning and the wounds were mostly healed. They were peeling and it wasn't all that much of a pleasant site, but they no longer hurt, only itched, and open air was always good for speeding up healing, a sentiment I was surprised the elves shared. Bandages suffocated the skin and the fabric the elves used was anything but breathable.

"It's fine, there shouldn't be any problems. And I if you act like you're sorry about what happened again I will find the coldest bucket of water I can and dump it on your head."

A frown and a smile warred on Kili's trembling lips and he looked at my sleeve covered arm, then relented. "Alright then. I'll show you how to use a bow."

Before taking the weapon I beamed at Fili. I kept my promise and he better realize that I had. He acknowledged me with a nod and lifted a foot to the edge of the bench and leaned back, absently fingering a dagger. I took it as his silent answer that he was satisfied the problem between Kili and I had been resolved.

Kili was a better teacher than I had expected and was more than a little encouraging. Every time I pulled the bow back and released an arrow he would comment on how I was improving with each shot. Admittedly, the action brought on a stinging and heated sensation in my arm that I pointedly ignored though it made it extra hard to pull back the tough tension of the bowstring. My aim was unremarkable but at least I hit the target around 80% of the time. Kili was patient and chided the position of my stance and had to correct it more than once and he had to adjust my slow aim. It was different than sighting down the barrel of a gun and required more muscles, ones I would need to build a lot more of if I wanted to make a habit of this. After emptying a whole quiver of arrows, my arms felt like jelly.

"Does your brother not use bows?" I asked Kili after I had plucked spent arrows from the range to reload my quiver.

Fili, who had been casually sharpening his array of knives that he endlessly pulled off his person like every inch of his clothing was made of the same magic as Mary Poppins bag, was not about to let his brother answer for him. "I have no use for a bow."

"Because you are terrible at it." Kili summarized.

"It is an elf's choice of weapon." Fili said as if that were explanation enough.

Kili all but rolled his eyes and I could tell this was an old conversation, one that had been said many times before.

"You never complain when my arrows bring home deer or the occasional boar." Kili noted smugly and took pleasure in Fili's ridged turn to the side.

Fili held up his dagger smirked ruefully. "The only reason I don't complain is because you would kill yourself with a sword or an ax."

Kili balked, "I would not! I may not be as good as Thorin but I can wield a blade just fine."

"If what your companion says is correct, it would not be wise to boast lies."

Fili jumped to his feet, blade in hand, and Kili spun in one fluid motion, pulling his bow up with an arrow aimed and ready. I scrambled away, startled by their soldier quick reflexes. They held their stances, eyes turning stony at the elf that now stood only feet away. The new comer bore a regal posture with long blond hair going brown at the roots and was looked at the dwarves with a tight, amused smile. It was the same elf that had interrupted my talk with Bilbo. I hadn't thought much about him at the time, it was hard to see anyone properly in the dark and I simply went to bed afterward without bothering to stay and chat.

The two dwarves lowered their weapons slowly but would not relinquish them or the tension in their muscles.

Kili took immediate offense to the elf's wisdom. "They are not lies."

"Are they not? Your potential with a bow exists but there is no battle experience behind it."

Kili's dark eyes glistened. "I have felled orcs and terrible beasts. I would bet my skill with a bow is better than yours."

Fili put a hand on Kili's arm and gave him a warning look. It was not that he did not trust his brother's skill, but Kili still had his limits he often pressed dangerously beyond without thinking things through.

The elf was unaffected by the challenge, probably thinking it was beneath him, and his lips curved into a mirthful smile. "Terrible beasts is it? Do you speak of these boars, or perhaps a bear? Tell me, dwarf, when was the last time you faced death, hung on by a shred of fading hope with only scorched earth and the bodies of your comrades lying around you with smoke burning up your lungs and blocking out the tiniest amount of light? Have you faced beasts made of fire and steel and magic?"

Kili opened and closed his mouth wordlessly, eyes wide, and Fili made a show of twirling his knife.

"There is no such thing as beasts made of fire." Fili said.

Unwillingly, my subconscious sprung from the depths of my memories the epic fight Gandalf had in the Mines of Moria. The scene was vivid, I could picture Gandalf with his gray hat abandoned, holding his staff and sword out in his outstretched arms while a horned creature made of fire cracked its whip at the wizard before they both fell to their deaths.

"A Balrog," I recalled under my breath.

The elf turned sharply saw me for the first time as something other than some mere human, and a sudden inflation of his stance and flare of his nostrils made me want to head for the hills. It occurred to me too late that balrogs were not a common occurrence and fewer knew about them.

"What do you know of balrogs?" the elf demanded.

If I was honest, nothing, other than they were nasty and something that one would imagine crawling straight out of hell. The elf surely knew more about them than I did. "That there's one under the Mines of Moria. Why?"

The elf's gaze turned absolutely murderous and I found I was taking a step back. Kili slowly maneuvered himself between me and the elf and Fili stood almost shoulder to shoulder with his brother, tensing in the same way they had just before we fled from the orcs.

"How would a daughter of men come by such information?" The elf hissed, his vision unhindered by the dwarves due to his height.

I scrambled for an explanation. Somehow I didn't think saying I saw a movie that takes place more than 70 years in the future would work and this elf looked ready to kill me on the spot if I said the wrong thing.

"I read about it." That was the only plausible answer that came. I just hoped he wouldn't ask where I had read about it. "If you dig too deep it will come out with swarms of goblins."

I was afraid the last bit of information would have too much foresight to have been merely read in a book but the elf was unreadable.

"What is going on here?" A familiar voice roared.

Thorin stormed between Fili, Kili, and I and the elf with Orcrist drawn but not raised. "Do you threaten my nephews?" Thorin demanded in such a way that promised he had the authority to deal out severe punishment.

"I do no such thing, Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror." The elf replied smoothly, lacking the fire he had exhibited mere moments ago.

Thorin's gray-blue eyes turned icy and his face fell into an impenetrable mask. "Then what matter of purpose do you discuss with them that you cannot express to myself?"

"You would demand such a thing before asking what it is I discuss?" The elf's smile was back but his eyes betrayed churning thoughts.

"I would." Thorin made it sound only natural.

There was a silent conversation going on between the dwarf and elf and no matter how hard I looked the meaning escaped me.

Fili and Kili were feeding off Thorin's confidence and soaked up his anger. Fili was doing an excellent imitation of his uncle and Kili was braced like an angry dog. The three of them combined were putting me on edge more than the elf alone and I had half a mind to find somewhere else to be, but curiosity to see the conversation through kept me rooted.

"Then there is nothing to be discussed." The elf looked at Kili, then Fili.

The elf's eyes hardened and the way they tried to pierce my soul when his attention flicked to me was unnerving. Intelligence burned in them and perhaps hundreds if not more years of experience flitted past them.

"You are young and ignorant to much of the world. May it not be the death of you." He looked at Thorin after speaking, conveying silent words I found maddeningly hard to decipher, then turned slowly and left with his robe dragging behind him.

"Hey! You can't just leave." Kili bolted after the elf but Fili held him back.

"No, Kili. Leave it be. He wants you to get angry." Fili did not sound too in control of himself at the moment either but he was at least able to see reason.

I might have chased after the elf in a similar rage since the insult was directed to me as well but Thorin rounded on us. "What did he say?"

Kili was eager to fill in for his uncle after being right offended. "He claimed I lied about my abilities with a sword."

I might have imagined it but Thorin's lips may have twitched upward a fraction of an inch.

"Is that all?" His tone was still that of a commander's, strong and unwavering, though it lacked the bite he used with the elf.

I hoped neither brother would mention the balrog. I could tell I was already in hot water with the elves and adding Thorin to that list was not good for my health. After the way the elf reacted I feared how strongly Thorin, who I had yet to see blow up and I had no desire to be around when it did happen, would react. I cursed my lack of knowledge of The Hobbit. If they had been from the Lord of the Rings I would have known their personal motives and general dispositions and the balrog could be written off as a warning for their quest. Here it was just an off set piece of information.

"Is there a balrog Khazad-dûm?" Fili questioned and I wondered where that was.

Thorin's eyes checked our expressions then his darkened. "There is nothing but orcs infesting Khazad-dûm. Do not believe what the elves tell you."

"I thought they were goblins?" I wondered and I felt the need to crawl into a hole when Thorin acknowledged my question.

"They are one in the same."

It would be much later when I learned the word orc was an umbrella term like dog or cat. They were cross bred for certain tasks in a hodgepodge gene pool that included other races. Each type was foul smelling and had a love for rending flesh and grinding bone.

* * *

><p>I joined the dwarves for dinner that night and was thankful no one asked questions of where I had been the night before. They were mostly indifferent to my reappearance besides Bofur's rather loud cheer and a plate of food slid was over to my seat by Bombur.<p>

"You will need to eat ten times what the elves feed you to gain weight." Bombur chortled.

I had to check that my jaw didn't drop. "Excuse me?"

"Bombur believes you will fall over at the slightest gust of wind and I have to agree. Every time he talks about you all he can think of is fattening you up!" Bofur laughed as if it were a great joke and he was joined by a chorus of chuckles.

To hear I was talked about at all in a conversation was embarrassing and strange, but the topic might have been more so.

Bofur's mentioning that I would fall over like some delicate maiden saved Bombur from the tongue lashing I was about to unleash. "I'm normal for my height and I don't have any desire to gain weight."

I was laughed at again and Kili's voice rose above the ruckus. He sat beside Fili who was sandwiched between his brother and me.

"It was great! You should have seen the size of the orc! It chomped and stomped and was about to take Fili's head off but I stopped him! I ran the ugly blighter through and it fell over, screaming-"

"Until I cut its head off," Fili smirked and Kili's giant smile drew into a deep frown. "It would have taken yours if I hadn't his for you did not anticipate its blade that you had failed to disarm."

"I had no time," Kili hissed.

"You've fought orcs before?" I asked while turning over a glass of wine I had no intention of drinking.

"Aye," said Fili. "Sometimes they would come up to the Blue Mountains looking for lovely ladies to attack and steal their jewels. They would come in the dark of night, always traveling in packs with bloodied weapons." He leaned over his plate of barely touched greens and a devious grin made the braids of his mustache sway.

"Pique down. Orcs are no laughing matter. Thorin would be appalled if he heard you." Dwalin threw down his fork, slapping his palm onto the table so it shook. "I can't eat this rabbit food. Where is the meat?!"

Balin put a hand on Dwalin's bunched shoulder and the burly dwarf settled at the touch with a grumble.

"What else have you fought?" I asked Kili and Fili. It felt like a continuation of the earlier conversation but on friendlier terms.

"Bandits once," Kili shrugged. "They weren't very fun to fight. They had no skill and went down from an arrow each. Have you ever battled before?"

I found it odd he would think I had ever fought, especially with my mediocre bow skills and non-existent blade handling. All I was good for when it came to fighting was running away or being tied up by trolls.

"No. I don't think I would make a very good soldier."

"Aye, on that we can agree." Dwalin grumbled.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I snapped and was ignored.

I pushed a clove of garlic around my plate and scratched at its soft flesh with the side of my fork.

"Does the food offend you, My Lady?"

I looked over my shoulder and Fili tensed at my side. It was the blond elf from earlier and he was watching me with those unnerving, wide eyes of his. I automatically bristled and told him exactly what I thought about his being here that I was sure had trouble written all over it though I could not reason why.

"I don't know who you are but you are getting on my nerves."

My comment gained the attention of Bofur sitting on my other side who had thought a mere wave in greeting at the elf would be enough. Now he was almost turned around.

"Who are you, good elf?" Bofur asked with a grin and I envied his ability to be oblivious to elf's unsavory air.

"My name is Glorfindel."

His name meant about as much as his face did in my book, nothing. I had no recollection about his character in the books and I had a feeling he was unimportant besides being maddeningly unhelpful.

If his name meant anything to the dwarves, they did not show it.

"Bofur, a pleasure." I half expected him to say 'at your service!' for some unfathomable reason.

"Why are you here?" Fili voiced what I had been itching to ask since Glorfindel showed up.

Glorfindel looked down on Fili, eyeing him not quite like dirt but insignificantly enough. "Because I live here."

Fili made an exaggerated sigh. "Tis a shame."

He jerked when Dwalin, who was sitting across from him, gave his leg a swift kick under the table and gave Fili a warning look.

"The shame is your inability to see Rivendell's beauty, but then you are a dwarf." He held up a hand when Fili and Kili were about to protest. "However, you are here to rest, not to fight. Indulge yourselves in drink and enjoy yourselves."

Glorfindel left in the same manner he came. Silently and with purpose, and not without another unnerving, too long glance my way that sent my skin crawling.

"That guy gives me the creeps," I muttered and watched him join Elrond, Gandalf, and Thorin at the special table.

"At least your instincts are spot on." Fili added when I had not expected a comment.

I was too used comfortable with living alone. I said things too often without expecting ears to hear them but in this instance it let me know I had an ally in disliking the elf. I probably had one in Kili too, judging by the silent glares he sent Glorfindel.

"Why did you kick me?" Fili said louder.

Balin clasped his hands and rested them on the table. "Glorfindel has been one of the few elves to personally extend their aid to the dwarves. It was before you were born but he once helped us drive goblins from the Blue Mountains. He is an old elf and I don't pretend to know his ways, but he has earned a margin of respect."

If Thorin's reaction was anything to go by he was of a very different mind and thought he owed the elf nothing at all.

The tension from Glorfindel quickly washed away under sloshing alcohol and a vegetarian's dream banquet. The dwarves complained more than once that there were not tankards of beer and only sweet and sour wine but they drank it none the less. I ate too many sweet rolls of bread and knew I would be regretting it latter. I should have eaten more of the greens but I was never very good about eating my vegetables.

I put down the fork I was playing with – I was surprised the utensil had been invented but I was not about to complain – and quizzically glanced at Dwalin who was giving an intensely unimpressed look at Kili. When I leaned forward and looked around Fili I spotted Kili with a dreamy look on his face that fell when he noticed Dwalin. I followed his line of site and saw he had been staring at a female elf plucking at a harp.

I rolled my eyes. Boys were the same no matter where you went or what race you dealt with.

Kili shook his head. "I can't say I fancy elf maidens myself. Too thin. They're all high cheek bones and creamy skin."

At least Bombur was not the only one who was giving the 'too thin' treatment. The dwarves it sound like being small was as looked down upon here as being too large where I came from. I remembered from history books that people who were bigger tended to be considered higher class so that may have been what was going on, but then there was Bombur who was expansive in his own right but he did not strike me as rich. I would never voice these thoughts for I had enough sense to know they would be received as incredibly rude even If I was only making an observation.

"Way too little facial hair for me." And then Kili had lost me unless he was saying he preferred guys. If he did he would have to be bisexual because he was giving that elf girl a pretty good once over.

"Although, that one there's not bad."

He pointed to the elf who had been playing and I had to repress a snicker when I noticed a problem he had not.

Dwalin kept his voice a whisper. "That's no elf maiden."

Kili turned and saw the maiden had been replaced with a male elf who was now playing the instrument and the table broke out into a great guffaw and the male elf rolled his eyes into the back of his head and I could tell it took every ounce of his self-control to not to burn the company alive.

Kili shrank in embarrassment and looked as bad as when he had forgotten about my injuries which ended in my arm being reinjured.

"Didn't you just say you liked guys?" My attempt to cheer him up turned the table dead silent.

"What? No!" Kili spat incredulously and turned red. "What makes you say…that?"

Had I read him wrong? Why else would he say the elf did not have enough facial hair while the dwarves here had plenty of it? "You said the elf didn't have enough facial hair."

The dwarves erupted into laughter that caused the four people at the 'special' table to look up in curiosity. I fiercely wished for the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

"Dwarf women have a bit of beard," Bofur pointed a circle around his face. "It accentuates their features in right nice ways.

"Though that doesn't mean you would know one when you see one. There are very few and they can look an awful lot like males."

"Oh," I said weakly, though I did not understand at all. Women with beards sounded like an odd concept but the dwarves had plenty of body hair to spare so maybe it wasn't so strange.

The conversation turned to complaining about the wine again while I tried and failed to conjure a mental image of a stout woman with a beard. I was too distracted by musings as to what dwarves strangely found attractive, which was everything I wasn't.

_Splat_.

I jerked when something slimy stuck to my face and sputtered, clawing at dressing drenched salad that now slipping off my cheek. I stared opened mouth at a grinning Kili. Oh, no. He was _not _going to get away with that. With one hand I raking the remains of the salad into a ball, I tossed it at his sloppily grinning face. Fili leaned back on reflex and Kili ducked, letting the food fly harmlessly onto the ground.

"Oh no you don't!" I blindly grabbed whatever I could reach on the table lurched forward, across Fili's lap, to smash the food into Kili's face before he could stand up and escape.

Fili's hands flew above his head and Kili opened his mouth and sputtered at the berries I was smashing into his hair. He reached out and grabbed me, pulling my face down into Fili's lap so he could mercilessly smother my trapped head with mashed potatoes.

"Oi!" Fili roared in protest and shoved his brother away. "Get off!"

I sat up sharply, ready to retaliate, but my pain exploded in my skull when my head smacked the bottom of the table so harshly that it vibrated, sending utensils clanging and plates jumping.

A strangled whine, high pitch and reverberating from the back of my throat sprang up and I sunk lower under the table.

"Now look what you've done." Fili chided when I lifted myself from his lap and was in far too much pain to be angry or embarrassed.

I blinked blearily and waited for my vision to stop crackling with stars under a mantra of _stupid, stupid, stupid_.

"You look absolutely terrible." Kili chuckled in a sobered tone and I noticed the other dwarves had taken the feast down a notch but they were not paying much mind besides a few annoyed looks.

I glared at Kili and a goop of jelly fell from my head.

"Here lass." Bofur said kindly and took a cloth from the table helped me take some of the food off my face.

It was late morning when I wondered over to the training grounds. I was eager to practice shooting with the bow again. It was strangely therapeutic and I was in a good mood after getting my clothes back, freshly cleaned with my phone intact as Lanthel had promised. I was tempted to check and see if I had a signal but I kept it power off.

* * *

><p>The very morning I was disheartened when I discovered no one was practicing. The lack of dwarves made the space eerie and dead despite the flowers rustling at its edges. I brushed my fingers along one of the damaged target dummies and marveled at lethal cuts. A shout cut through the quiet and an elf darted through the open halls with three more following behind them. Curious, I followed at a jog.<p>

Further into the city elven guards were rushing about, yelling in elvish. I reached out to stop one of them and they gave a look of panic.

"What's going on?" I asked tall, brown haired elf.

"The dwarves, they're gone! You were with them weren't you? Do you know where they went?"

They were…gone?

"They have left to continue their journey. It is not so surprising they would leave at first light."

"Gandalf!" I shouted urgently and with a flash of anger.

The wizard smiled with that special twinkle in his eyes that emerged whenever he found a source of great amusement. He knew the dwarves had gone and had the foresight of when they would go yet he had told me nothing about it. I had seen Gandalf very little since coming to Rivendell and had spoken to him even less but I deserved to know when the dwarves would be going. It hurt that they had disappeared without telling me of their leaving or saying goodbye. Without them Rivendell felt strange and less welcoming than before, more alien. It was like a thread of reality that I didn't even know I had been hanging onto had been ripped from my hands. The dwarves were the first people I met after losing all sense of direction and placement in middle earth and I found them to be a constant I could count on, now they were gone.

"If you wish to go after them I believe they are no more than a few hours ahead. If you keep moving through nightfall you will be sure to stumble upon them in the same manner as you did the first."

Me, go with the dwarves?

"_Gandalf believes you were brought here to aid the dwarves on their quest."_Galadriel's voice echoed from my memory.

I thought I was supposed to stay and find a way home though I had been doing nothing of the sort during the time I wandered Rivendell. I had been hesitating and thinking little on the problem and all together tried to forget I had to make up my mind for what to do. I missed the comforts of home but not achingly so and there was an absence of longing where my parents were concerned. Childishly, I feared what they would do whenever I did find my way home. My dad would never believe where I had been and I had no feasible explanation of how I had disappeared. I would never hear an end to nagging questions from both my parents and would likely be placed under lock and key until they figured out what had happened, and they would never be able to figure it out.

I swayed on my feet, physically moving to the tearing sensation in my rapidly beating heart. On one hand I wanted to go home but on the other I did not want to face my parents or make the trek back to where the trolls and orcs had been to try and find the stone circle that may or may not transport me home. For all I knew it was a one way deal.

"Why should I go?" I asked Gandalf and cursed how lost I sounded.

"That is an answer not meant to be given. You either follow the dwarves and help them on their journey, or you do not." He was smiling in the most infuriating way.

My blood boiled and I snapped, "I don't even know where they are going!"

"They will tell you everything you need to know if you ask."

"Gandalf!" I told him off in frustration. I needed to know that information before I possibly chased after them.

Gandalf bowed a little so he was more at my height and calmly asked, "What does your heart tell you?"

I wanted to tear his pointy hat from his head. "That's not an answer and you know it!" Cliché words from some sappy romantic novel were not going to help in this situation. I had to think and make a rational decision. "What use would I be to them? Thorin made it pretty clear he only wanted me around until Rivendell and the others are probably happy to see me gone."

"It is not them who is making the decision. Tell Thorin Oakenshield I sent you and say I told him he better not turn away help however it is given. He will need every ounce of friendship and loyalty he can muster if he wants to see this quest through to its end."

Friendship was hard for me to give. Though I could be friendly around people I knew, the word friend was not something I threw around lightly and was a title I only gave to those who knew me better than I knew myself. Loyalty was another problem. I was not sure what Gandalf meant by it because there were many forms of loyalty, too many to count.

"What are you asking of me?" I wanted him speak plainly but I was afraid it was an impossible task for him.

Gandalf sobered. "I ask for a great many things that I should not be allowed to ask of anyone for but I deem Thorin's company will have great need of you."

That still made no sense whatsoever and I wanted to yank him down and scream in his ear. "So it's go with them, or find a way home," I summarized blandly.

"Indeed. Though first, I would ask you this."

I dreading what he would say next.

"What is more important? Returning whence you came to a life of normalcy, or going on a grand adventure that you can pass down to many generations from now?"

I might have heard him wrong but he may have just said he wanted me to abandon home and leave to have an adventure with a bunch of mannerless men who carried copious amounts of weapons and trekked about the woods like an apocalyptic training camp.

"You're serious?" I had to be sure Gandalf was not yanking my chain.

A grin spread across his lips, nearly cracking his face in two. "Quite."

I shouldn't, I really shouldn't. I had a feeling it would be the worst mistake of my life next to buying a motorcycle and getting a million tattoos just to piss my dad off. Maybe I should go find a cliff somewhere, Rivendell had plenty of them, and jump off to save me the trouble of acting on a betraying urge to follow the dwarves or walking into the horrors of facing the reality of returning home. Seeing as I didn't want to die I decided not to think and to just act. _Fuck it._

I raced back to my room. I threw on the jacket and cloak Lanthel had conjured up late yesterday. The jacket was made of a light supple leather that easily slipped over my shirt and the traveling cloak was a dark green and made of a tough, wooly material. Lanthel had provided a small travel pack upon noticing I didn't have one and filled it with a full water skin, materials I hadn't bothered to go through yet, and cuts of square bread wrapped in leaves that brought back memories of when I had watched the Lord of the Rings. It was almost as if Lanthel, or someone else, knew I would be on my own for a while and I had my suspicions that a certain wizard was to be blamed.

I tossed the items around, checked my few personal belongings, and flung the pack over my shoulders. I might have asked for a backup pair of shoes in case I thought I might be forced to run but there wasn't time. I was really about to do this, wasn't I? Where was a lightning bolt when I needed one?

I burst out of the room and Gandalf was still waiting in the hall, smiling like an idiot. "They went out the back passage. If you hurry you may catch them before next morn."

He produced a bow and a quiver of arrows, the same ones I had been practicing with and I gaped at him. The bastard really had planned this all along.

I took them with a look that said I knew this was his fault and I never forget it if everything went south. "Bye Gandalf. I bet I'll see you again," I said with no love lost.

"I cannot say." He shouted cheekily as I ran away down the hall.

I sprinted through Rivendell, receiving off putting looks from elves as I passed and my boots stomped noisily on the stone the city was built from and I quickly realized I had no idea which exit I needed to take.

I rounded a corner and started to slow when the realization hit and I nearly ran into the last elf I wanted to see, Glorfindel. He was smirking and looking all too pleased.

"Allow me to escort you to your pony." He held out an arm as if I were supposed to take it.

I eyed him warily. There was no way I was going to grab his arm and prance merrily off into the sunset. "What is the catch?"

"Catch? I don't know what you mean for there is nothing to catch, but you want to follow the dwarves, correct? You will need a mount if you wish to have a prayer of finding them and it so happens I have one prepared for you."

I wasn't buying it. "Why?"

He winked and started walking. I hated that there was nothing I could do except follow. Glorfindel led at a brusque pace and at the edges of the city when the last building fell away I saw a single pony, fully saddled and pulling anxiously on a rope that tied it to a tree.

"I don't know how to ride a horse." I said when Glorfindel motioned for me to get on the animal.

Truthfully, it was a pony, not a horse, but it was the biggest pony I had ever seen. Its fur was shaggy for cold climate and its legs were robust for climbing and hauling.

"It is not difficult. All it requires is you spur it forward and steer in the correct direction."

I looked at the animal uncomfortably. I was not looking forward to having my butt get sore and my nose run thicker than Niagara Falls. I would rather walk and I was going to tell the elf so but he had put hand on my back and was steering me toward the pony.

"Do not look so frightened. It will not throw you, I guarantee it. And if you cannot get on a mere pony then I am afraid your quest to find the dwarves is already doomed to fail."

That sounded more like him and stoked the fire in the growing part of me that was highly annoyed by this elf and now Gandalf.

"I never said I couldn't do it." I scoffed and put a foot in the stirrup. I yanked on the leather straps and pulled myself up by my stomach with an embarrassing amount of effort.

Glorfindel bent down to the pony's ear and muttered in elvish while stroking its long muzzle.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked the immensely odd elf. What I really wanted to say was, "_Why are you all so hell bent on having me chase down the dwarves?" _There was something going on and no one was willing to come out at say what.

He smiled in the 'I know something you don't and I'm not going to tell you' manner. "You came with the dwarves so you should leave with them, should you not?"

I sensed a half truth and decided to fish for information in a less direct way. "You're doing this to get rid of me?"

"Not at all, and you are losing precious time. You ought to move swiftly if you wish to 'catch' your stubborn companions."

I was going to protest they were not my companions but Glorfindel gave the pony a swift swat on the rear and it bolted forward.

* * *

><p><strong>Glorfindel, who are you, where did you come from, I did not know you existed until you dropped your happy aft into my fic when I did not ask for you. Is it revenge because I meant to use Elrond's son but got his hair color wrong?<strong>

**Annoying elfs aside, I have spent more than enough time in Rivendell. Up next the journey really begins.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Due to confusion about Meg's motivations to decide and follow the dwarves, I went back to chapter 6 and added about 1k worth of text to the last third of the chapter - ****_Hint hint -_ and there will be plenty of time for her to struggle with the decision at later dates. **

**To my guest reviewer: I really didn't know who Glorfindel was, I'd never heard of him since I have never read through the books except ****_The Hobbit_****. I spoke to my friend who is my elf expert about the 'mystery elf' in chapter 5 who was supposed to be one of Elrond's sons, but I made the mistake of saying he had blond hair. My friend told me I had 'done fucked up' and that Glorfindel had blond hair so I looked him up and he wormed his way into the story.**

**Special mentions of reviewers: ****Vanafindiel****, ****Padme4000****, ****Rookie Cookie Baked Crispy****, ****Vaughn Tyler****, ****luvgirl101****, ****1XxKiraXx1****.**** You guys rock.**

* * *

><p>These woods were different from home. There were birds and insects and trees just like any other forest but I couldn't shake a feeling of unease. I was unsure if the sensation of repulsion was my own desire to turn back and go home, to abandon this insane idea of accompanying dwarves that should not have existed in reality, or a stranger notion that the forest itself was warning me away.<p>

Bilbo had mentioned once how he felt a magical air about Rivendell, giving it a serene, calming feeling. The dwarves had sneered at him, calling the magic disgusting and too clean; it was the first time I heard those two words used to describe one thing. Personally, I felt nothing besides appreciation for the city's aesthetic beauty. He claimed the presence of magic was either a hum in the ear or tangible feeling. Then, I had to take his work for it. Now, however, I was sure I was experiencing what Bilbo described as a feeling that touched the skin, ghosting it with tendrils of magic.

I assumed since I had no magic I would not be able to feel it, but this forest was thick with it. With every step the pony took, I felt pelts of invisible, suspended rain drops colliding and sliding off my arms though everything save my face and hands were covered.

The brown mare I had been given was oblivious to my ridged posture and trotted through the dense foliage with surprising speed, snapping bushes and crumbling rocks under her heavy hooves. I had a sneaking suspicion Glorfindel said something to the mare like a mad Doctor Doolittle because there was a sense of urgency in its pace, steering it forward without any coaxing from myself.

I did not think the pony liked me too much. Every time I tried to steer it to an area that looked easier to transverse, it bucked its head and yanked the reins from my hands. Quickly, I had given up and let the animal go on the way it wanted, it made it easier for both of us.

The pony was broader than a horse, giving ample room to sprawl on, but that did not save my butt nor my back from getting sore. Taking off my backpack probably would have been a good start if it weren't for my bad habit of clinging to my belongings. I blamed school where if I left anything marginally unattended items would go missing in less than thirty seconds.

Without a watch, time was elusive in the forest but I guessed I had been on the move for four or five hours. At the two hour mark I started feeling car sick, or was it horse sick, maybe pony sick? Either way, I rode out an uncomfortable hour of wanting to vomit because I would be damned if I stopped when I didn't have to. The feeling eventually lessened, but it was still present.

I probably should have gone home. The more I thought about what running off into the unknown in the woods entailed, the worse I felt about my split second decision. There would be no bathrooms, showers, toilets, or beds - I would be without internet or a cellular connection for who knew how long. Electricity to this world was like magic to mine, a mythological thing only read about in fairy tales. Camping was not a new experience but I had no idea how long this trip would take and I had a feeling it would last longer than winter break and go on through the next semester. I would fall behind in classes and it would take longer to graduate.

Longingly, I glanced back more than once to where I knew Rivendell to be, but it was too late to turn back. No matter how much I regretted the decision there was no going back once I made one. I could waffle on figuring out what I would choose to do in situations but once I started to act it was like being trapped in a train hurdling over a hundred miles an hour, even if I knew there was nothing at the end of the track but a painful collision or an open cliff.

Speaking of things slipping out of my control, I yanked sharply on the pony's reins. It protested, of course, snorting and butting its head backward while stomping its hooves.

"Will you stop for two minutes?" I hissed at the stubborn animal. "I need to pee and I doubt you'd like it if I went on you."

The pony slowed to a stop and whinnied in displeasure. I wondered if it understood my words or if it finally caved after I gave its head a good yank to make it listen. I slid off the mare's back and pulled its reins over its head. Saucer eyes unnervingly watched as I looped the reins over a branch. I did not want it running off and leaving me behind.

I doubted the pony cared if I relieved myself only a couple feet away and in plain sight so I did, and right after I finished, I heard the mare doing its own business. Not wanting to be in the crossfire, I stretched my legs by pacing.

I took out Bofur's rag - as I so lovingly referring to it - that had been washed with my clothes and used it for the hundredth time to whip my nose. The longer I was around ponies and horses, the less I liked them. They were irritating at best and downright intolerable at worst. They stunk and shed and pooped while they walked.

I breathed in the scent of woods without the lingering musk of that stupid pony, and froze when my foot hit something which clanged and rolled. Curious, I bent my knees and poked a molted and bent object. It was half disintegrated but I could make out an etching of BEANS hammered into the side of rusted metal. Now that I was looking, there was a similar can next to it, then another. There were five total, leading my eyes to a space under a tree. It was shallow, like a pit dug from a dog to lie down in to get out of the heat and into the cool dirt.

I touched the dip in the ground with my fingers and felt a jolt go up my arm. I withdrew with a start and gawked when nothing else happened. _What the fuck was that? _

I shook out my tingling hand and touched the ground again. The jolt was still there, erratic and hungrily lapping at my hand like a frightened animal striking blindly at an intruder. It was a dull nip and not actually painful. Curiously, I trailed my fingers closer to the tree, leaning over to do so, and felt the strikes subtly increase intensity.

At the base of the tree was a small hole and I swore the tendrils were pulling my hand away from it, so naturally I reached inside. I felt leaves and sticks and something solid. I gripped two separate objects lying flush against each other, then and pull my hand back out. Dead leaves fell from my grip and I turned over a black box. I rested it on my knees and carefully separated an object sticking to the bottom of it - a pocket notebook, one that curled at the edges and showed clear signs of abuse and age.

The pages protested being opened when I peeled the cover back, cracking and stiffly uncooperative. Inside the lined paper was tiny handwriting I had to squint to read.

_Day 1 Something,_

_I followed a song, a stupid, melodic song I once thought was pretty. I don't know how long I've been here, maybe a week, and I don't know how it happened. I was walking through the woods when everything changed. It was like the world I knew had vanished from under my feet. My stupid cellphone died a long time ago and there is no signal out here, or people. The animals are unnaturally big. I want to go home, I hate this place. _

I sucked in a breath at the snippy entry and felt the world spin on its axis. My hands started to tremble and I breathed deeply to calm down. I had not been the first. Another person had suffered the same fate I was now facing. With fumbling fingers I opened the box instead of reading further, afraid of what I would find written on tis pages. The latch was rusted and snapped when I flipped it up. I opened the lid and my eyes went as wide as the pony's. Resting in a block of cut foam was a pistol, something for all intents and purposes should not exist in this world.

What was more puzzling was the model type. I didn't know guns all that well besides the shotgun I used for hunting, but this pistol looked modern, yet it must have been sitting in the dry hole in the tree for a couple decades, if not a hundred years. There was a single mag laid out next to it and small tools for cleaning.

The pony whinnied and stamped its feet impatiently, drawing me from my stupor. I shook my head at the absurdity of it all and stuffed the notebook inside the box before dropping the lid closed. I shoved the remnants of a life I would never know into my backpack and gave the space under the tree one more worried look. Whoever had lived here was long gone but they had been from my world, I was not as alone in predicament as I had originally thought.

The mystery items in my backpack weighed heavily on my mind while I rode on the pony that had continued its brusque pace. More than once I started to take the items out of the bag only to put them back or grab the waterskin instead. The pocket book was begging to be read but I couldn't bring myself to do it, not yet. I wanted to believe it would tell me how to get home, but I knew nothing was ever as clean as that. The owner probably never made it back, they probably died a long, long time ago.

At dusk I could barely keep my eyes open. The waning sun and long shadows the trees casted in its wake coupled with too much thinking time had my taxed mind and body. Despite not lying on anything there was kink in my neck and I constantly shifted on the pony to stay awake and try to accomplish the impossibility of getting comfortable.

After the sun disappeared it was easier to keep my eyes open though I could barely see a thing under the crescent moonlight. The pony had no problem picking its way through the dark woods and hardly slowed down. The animal was breathing hard but seemed content to walk forever if it had to.

A while back I made it stop and tried to get it to drink water I poured into my hand. I might not have liked the creature but I wasn't cruel. Its tongue gratefully lapped up the liquid and might have acted a little less cranky afterword, but that may have been my overactive imagination.

The feeling of wrongness the forest secreted was still present but I found it easier to ignore, in the same way a constant sound or smell faded into the back of a person's mind and was only noticeable when one thought about.

I readjusted the headphones around my neck and bent forward into the pony's mane, sighing in exasperation. "Where are they?" I cleared my disused voice with a cough.

Right now I was wishing to see a firelight or any sign of the dwarves. They tended to set up camp when the sun was low, perhaps around five thirty, so they should have been stopped for some time now. The problem was I didn't know how much further they had managed to move before I started out, or if they had been outpacing my pony despite its determined speed.

Inevitably, I started to drift in and out but I found it impossible to fall fully asleep whole rocking violently back and forth. The pony's movements were jarring enough to keep me awake which was a good thing because many hours after dark, I saw a flicker of light.

"There!" I practically squealed though my voice was still low.

I bounced on the spot, irritating the pony, but I did not particularly care when I jerked the reins back. The mare stopped reluctantly and I jumped from its back.

"Come one," I excitedly grabbed the pony's reins and guided it toward the orange glow that would be barely visible under normal circumstances but glowed like a lighthouse for my sake.

I wanted to move faster but the pony decided it was time to finally slow down and it refused to walk with any form of haste. For my credit, being with a pony and all, I had not made much noise which was, in hindsight, a stupid thing to do when coming upon sleeping dwarves. Luckily, I was no church mouse either and made just enough noise in the dead of night to alert someone since I heard approaching footsteps. Dwarves did not do stealth either.

"By my beard, is that the lass?"

I would recognize that accent anywhere even if I couldn't make out the owner's face in the low light.

"Hi." I greeted Bofur anti-climatically.

"What on earth are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Rivendell, with the elves."

A short, airy laugh barked past my lungs. "Let's just say a certain wizard and elf is to blame."

They had ganged up me before I knew what was going on and their plan had been set in motion before I could properly process it all. I fully blamed them for my being here.

Bofur chuckled. He might have understood better than I thought. "Bilbo said much the same a fair few times. 'Blasted wizard', he sometimes calls him."

Blasted wizard indeed, though I would not have put it so nicely.

Bofur's tone turned worried. "Have you been riding all night?"

"And day." I couldn't stifle the yawn that came out and was glad for the dark, I doubted Bofur could see it.

"Come, come. You must be exhausted. The company is still asleep but it will be dawn soon. Please, allow me to take your pony."

Bofur took the reins and the mare bucked its head, trying to pull away when Bofur urged it forward.

"Easy now," Bofur coaxed and stroked the pony until it slowly but surely relented. I saw a black blob waive toward me which was probably his hand. "Follow me lass."

Bofur probably had superior night vision because he easily picked his way back to camp without tripping or snagging on roots as I did.

I heard the dwarves before I saw them since a fair few of them snored like chainsaws. They laid around a burning fire, tucked under coats and blankets. Once I saw them, a creeping fear started to take root. I would probably be turned away, unwanted. It was apparent I did not belong here. Thorin and the others would take one look and become angry at my presence. Bofur was taking my sudden appearance rather well but he was one of the least high strung dwarves, as far as I could tell.

Said dwarf guided my mare to a group of ponies nearby that slept and chewed on the grass at their hooves. My brown mare was eager to join them and started munching on foliage as soon as Bofur let go of it.

A harsh whisper, low and absent of warmth came from behind. "What are you doing here?" I saw Thorin spring to his feet the moment Bofur and I entered camp but I only now turned to face him with budding dread.

I smiled sheepishly. "A wizard sent me."

The red firelight casted off Thorin's prominent forehead and nose, making his features all the more menacing. "The wizard can have you back."

Going back was not an option. "Tell that to Gandalf. I'm stuck here otherwise. Just think of it as repayment until I can figure out how to get home."

Thorin came so close his nose was nearly touched my collar bone, maybe he was contemplating smashing it to shards with a hammer. "He told you of our quest?"

"Ah…well. I kind of…don't really know…where y'all are going." Shit, I sounded like a blithering idiot.

Thorin's unreadable mask never wavered. "You have no knowledge of our quest yet you blindly follow?"

This was going to be it, Thorin would cast me to the side even if he had to use his sword to accomplish it. Who was to say he would not cut off my head to keep me from following. "Right now yeah. It would be nice to know at this point."

He lowered his voice an octave. "I did not say you could come."

Of course Thin didn't, he left without so much as a goodbye; he had no time to say what I could or could not do, not that it would have mattered. "I know."

I couldn't tell if Thorin was offended by my haughty reply. "Once you have knowledge of our quest there will be no turning back. Leave now."

"I've already made up my mind." I had, unfortunately. Thorin didn't really think after hiking for an entire day to catch up to them that I would just drop in to say hello then turn around?

Thorin was still whispering, but his volume was climbing. "You do not know what you are walking into."

"It's too late to go back." I meant it literally and figuratively though a small voice in the back of my head insisted I was wrong, there was still time to turn around and go back.

"No. You would only slow us down." Thorin was curt.

I balked. "Slow you down? I rode all the way here after you had several hours head start. Besides, how could I slow you down when we're riding ponies?"

He was quick to change tactics and it was horribly obvious what he was doing. "Can you wield a blade?"

Of course not, and he knew it.

"I can shoot an arrow." I bounced the elvish bow on my shoulder for emphasis though I was not fooling myself, Kili was a leagues better archer and I doubted I could hit a target on the fly.

"I do not need a human woman. This is not your burden to bare."

I knew desperate tactics when I saw them so it should not have mattered, but the low blow to call me for all intents and purposes a useless _woman_ sparked a blazing fire. "So what?!" I was whispering loudly now. "I could be a mitochondrion and it wouldn't matter," I snarled.

If Thorin was thrown by the vomited biology jargon, he did not show it. Honestly, mitochondrion, there had to have been a hundred better comparison.

"I do not need a _girl _in our midst who does not know her place." Thorin leaned forward.

I refused to flinch despite his oppressive aura of authority flaring outward in cold waves. It would take nothing short of a battering ram to break his stance on the topic, something I was confident I could pull off with an A plus.

I threw my bag to the ground, bow and quiver included, making it clear I was going nowhere. "Look," I said pointedly, and look he did. His blue eyes were boring, flickering with intelligence. "I'm not here to threaten you or make a burden of myself. I rode all day, by myself, to find y'all. I can hold my own just fine and I don't need a babysitter. I want to help you. "

"Why?" He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. The cold fire in them fueled my desire to win this quickly heating argument.

"Because why not?" Because I had made a choice, I was here, I was on the train of no return.

Others stirred from the not so quiet whisper-yelling and the sun was just starting to rise. In a couple of seconds we would have an audience, if we didn't already. I was itching to look around but I would lose all ground, and possibly nerve, if I did.

"What is it you seek? What is that drives you to rush so blindly into death?"

The reason should have been clear, no sane person blindly runs after others. Thorin's thinking I would die was not helping. Remembering the Lord of the Rings, I knew traveling around Middle Earth would be anything but a picnic; but I didn't know why. The driving force for my being here, half a world or more away from home when I should have been looking for a way back, was elusive. Yet here I was, standing in front of a dwarf, asking to partake in his adventure….an adventure. I knew that word.

"Who doesn't want to go on an adventure?" I cracked a nervous smile while vividly remembering Bilbo running out of his hobbit hole, hollering he was 'going on an adventure' to all of his flabbergasted neighbors.

Thorin's face may have been the equivalent of a stone mask, but his eyes flickered, and I had no idea what it meant.

"There will be more orcs and wargs. They will surely hunt us and you will not be spared for being a woman."

The orcs had been terrifying, but not in a permanently scaring fashion. I felt if I saw them again I could be a little more useful now that I had a bow. I could stand back and shoot, staying out of everyone's way. Shit, I was really going to do this.

"Gandalf wanted me to tell you something," I began, adamant to use every bit of ammo I had.

Thorin's eyes narrowed to the point I swore he was wishing the worst possible death upon my person.

I persevered. "You 'better not turn away help however it is given'." I conveniently left out the bit about friendship and loyalty because I was not sure I could give either of those things.

I tried to look as confident and unwavering though deep down I knew Thorin held all of the power to have the final say and his answer would likely leave me cold in the streets. He sized me up, looking for weakness. A full minute passed where nothing in the world existed except his hardened stare and the rapid beating of my heart.

"I don't like taking a human child as useless as you." I scowled at Thorin's spiraling descent of word choice and opened my mouth to retort. "But…if I said no you would follow anyway and I am not up for the aggravation, or the stupidity of inciting a wizards wrath."

My face cracked into a small, triumphant grin and I would have hugged the bastard if he was not so vicious all the time. "I won't disappoint."

I was going to get myself fucking killed.

When Thorin turned around, after throwing one last, blood curdling look, the outside world started moving again. Around us I saw the majority of the company sitting up or standing. All of them were looking me with varying expressions from surprise to downright disapproval.

"Balin!" Thorin barked. "Where is the contract?"

The oldest dwarf in the company opened his mouth, then closed it with a shake of his head and fished parchment out of a bag nearby. Thorin bent to take the offered paper but Balin grabbed his arm to keep him from standing back up and said something I couldn't hear. Thorin answered back then was let go. He stood and slapped a stack of papers against my chest. I caught them, stumbling back at the surprising use of force, and he held out a quill.

"This is your last chance to back out." Thorin said sternly.

I snatched the quill and flipped open the ridiculously long contract. At the bottom was a place for signatures, one made by Thorin himself, and the other by Bilbo Baggins. My heart was racing when I signed under the Hobbit's name.

"Here." I handed the two items back and though I would normally say 'thank you', I felt it would be the wrong thing to say.

Thorin took the contract and watched my eyes intensely as if he were trying to break into my mind to speak telepathically. "You are foolish. Do not make me regret this."

He turned away and gave the paper to Balin who put it away with a dour disposition.

"Miss Megara will be joining us for the remainder of the quest," Thorin announced. "It is a stupid thing to do but know she is bound by contract."

Disapproval was visually rampant but no one spoke out.

Thorin continued naturally, "Bombur, start making breakfast. Everyone else, get packing. We leave in an hour." The stilled dwarves' spell was broken from the orders.

The moment Thorin was five feet away, leaving to do his own business, my sight of him was blocked by a broadly grinning Kili. "You came!"

Thank you captain obvious.

"I can't believe none of you said goodbye," I feigned hurt, partially. That was a lie, I was completely furious with the idiots for leaving without a word.

Kili blew air from his mouth, ruffling his wild hair, and looked a little sheepish. "We meant to, we would have, but Thorin had everyone leave before first light without so much as a warning."

"I noticed," I grumped.

"The wizard, was it?" Fili came to stand close to his brother and crossed his arms, skepticism laced his tongue.

"He's a meddling bastard," I affirmed and both Fili and Kili reeled, their eyes going as wide as dinner plates.

"What?" I asked with amusement. "You know it's true and somehow I get the feeling he was responsible for me getting lost in the first place."

Kili was the first to recover. "Never have I seen Thorin crack so quickly. It took us months of begging him to let us come before he would take us!"

Fili shook his head and smiled, his suspicion dissolved for now. "Aye, if we had known mentioning Gandalf would have that kind of effect we might have used that excuse earlier."

Their energy and good moods were contagious and I couldn't help but draw strength from them though I was dead on my feet.

"Then you have an excuse for next time," I winked.

Fili and Kili grinned at each other and I could see future plans forming between their silent looks.

"Indeed," Fili held a hand out to me. "Bombur will have breakfast finished shortly. Care to join us?"

His hand was enormous, and for some strange reason I wanted to shy away from it, but I threw the stupid notion out the window and took it. I was not some blushing idiot who couldn't stand physical contact. A creeping heat said the opposite.

Height may have been on my side but I could not have felt smaller around the dwarves. A guy had never held my hand before but I was sure their digits and palms were not supposed to make my hand completely disappear, or make it feel as if I had just put my hand inside a heater. It made me wonder why these guys were called dwarves when there was nothing dwarfish about them aside from a few missing inches in their height. Their skulls were twice the size of mine, one of their fingers was the size of two of mine, and their shoulders were broader than a quarterback's. They were all short, but thick, bulldogs in humanoid form.

I felt a vast difference in my strength versus theirs during the orc attack when I was flung around between the dwarves. I would never say it aloud, but Fili's grip at the time left a few bruises, though I was sure he hadn't meant to leave any marks. I was just glad to have made it out of there alive.

Fili led me to the fire then excused himself so he could pack. He had to grab his brother and pull him with since Kili was standing around, yawning hugely without trying to cover his gaping mouth.

The dwarves were sluggish with sleep but they were more cheerful now that they weren't in Rivendell. The air was less strained, absent of glowers and grumpy gestures. I tried to help Bombur, whom I had to embarrassingly ask for his name again, but he kept gently pushing me away, saying it was his work and to not fret about it. In the end, I sat by the fire, wringing the fabric of my bag as I held it close while I waited.

Fili and Kili came back when Bombur announced breakfast and Bofur was kind enough to conjure up a bowl of stew for me though I professed I had something to eat. Lambas bread would never hold a candle to a hot meal, it was virtually tasteless, but I did not want to annoy Thorin anymore than I had already. Fili all but rolled his eyes and took the bowl from Bombur and unceremoniously dropped it in my lap. The juices nearly spilled over the side and I slapped his shoulder for being an idiot.

After the short meal, Thorin had everyone clear the camp of any traces of us being there. I helped stamp out the fire and drag away logs to toss them into the woods since that did not take much skill, and we were gone within the hour.

My pony was more eager than I to start walking again. The last thing I wanted was to sit on that damned animal for another full day. I had barely been off it for two hours, if that, since catching up with the company. Thorin was blind to my discomfort and set everyone up in an uneven column. He was particular about who he wanted at the back and front. He sat at the front, of course, and strictly told Fili and Kili to bring up the rear. I was given no instructions on where I was supposed to be and I did not think I could keep my mare in one specific place to save my life. It had a mind of its own and went where it wanted.

Incidentally, the mare was content with hanging back with Fili, Kili, and the supply ponies.

"So…" I began because I needed to talk or I was going to fall asleep. My eyes were fluttering shut despite my best attempts to stay awake. "Where are we going?" I asked to no one in particular.

"You mean you don't know?" Fili sounded rather dubious.

"Not a clue." I yawned and cursed my inability to function without one night of sleep.

"We're off to slay mighty beast." Kili drew his pony closer. "We're going to defeat a great calamity with giant teeth-"

"And sharp claws, like spears," Fili cut in.

"With wings that can create hurricanes," Kili continued.

Fili's grin grew. "Has a fiercer love of gold than even dwarves."

Kili beat his chest, creating a dull thud when he hit his protective gear. "With armor of Iron."

Fili leaned forward, his eyes danced with mirth. "And fire that melts skin from bone."

They had to be joking. "A dragon," I mused when the brothers were done finishing each other's sentences. "How big is it?"

"Three times the size of a troll, maybe five. Some stories say it's as tall as Erebor itself," Fili elaborated.

Erebor, why did that name sound familiar?

My lips pursed. "Stories? So you don't even know if there is a dragon?"

"No," Balin said gravely from a few paces ahead. "The dragon is very real." He paused, frowning deeply. "Thror's lust for gold became so great that he amassed enough wealth to draw the attention of a fire drake, Smaug the Terrible. He came down from the north and seized Erebor. I was there when he destroyed our home and drove us out. I will never forget the sight of dragon fire and the destruction it wrought."

It still sounded like a crock of shit even after seeing firsthand the very real existence of trolls and orcs, but it was hard to ignore Balin's hunched shoulders.

I played along for my sanity. "So you're on a quest to this Erebor to kill a dragon?"

Balin inclined his head. "That we are lass."

I wracked my brain, trying to imagine a dragon, then it clicked, and I felt incredibly stupid for forgetting the main point of the movie. If nothing else stood out to me, the ending had where I remembered Smaug, a red dragon laying in a kingdom, inside a mountain and atop a horde of gold that once belonged to the dwarves. The last few seconds of the film revealed him opening his great eye after a bird's knocking echoed against a concealed door.

"You're quite calm about the whole thing. Mr. Boggins passed out when he heard about the dragon." Kili said cheerfully.

"His name is Baggins," Fili reminded.

"I did not. I just needed a moment to process it all." The halfling snipped.

"A moment to rattle in your boots, you mean," Fili laughed.

"I thought hobbits didn't wear boots?" Kili, ever the king of stating the obvious, had to point out.

Sadly for me, I couldn't resist chasing the rabbit Kili released. "Doesn't it hurt to walk barefoot?"

Bilbo looked at his hairy feet then glared at the three of us, unimpressed. "Of course not. In fact, I would rather be on them now then riding this blasted pony."

I snorted. "Ditto. But how does it not hurt to walk barefoot?"

Bilbo was becoming increasingly vexed if his pinched brow was anything to go by. "Hobbit feet are as tough as any boot. There's no special how, it just is."

"So, you have extra layers of skin like thick callouses? Do hobbits not have a lot of nerve endings in their feet?" I was thoroughly intrigued despite what the snickering brothers might be thinking, and heaven knew what was going through their heads.

"I would prefer not to talk about my feet, thank you. Please drop the subject."

"But I wanna know." I borderline whined. "Are you born that way or do you have to build up callouses?"

Bilbo started turning red. "Excuse me, but I believe that is none of your business. Please stop."

Unfortunately for Bilbo, I was not easily deterred once my curiosity was spiked. "Why not? It's not like I'm asking about your love life or credit card number."

He puffed his cheeks and made exasperated movements with his hands. "This discussion is over, done, I say. Don't you have anyone else to bother?"

I smirked. "You're being a big baby."

"Now see here!" Bilbo exclaimed, so furious he could not say a thing more to express his annoyance.

"Your feet?" I asked with a face splitting grin.

Fili and Kili erupted into laughter when Bilbo's swiveled around, head shaking with fury, fully intending to ignore us the rest of the day.


	8. Chapter 8

**The past week has been full of first exams and projects (still is) and I kept rewriting and breaking apart this chapter, dissatisfied with the information and its flow. ****Despite its lateness, I hope it came out all right.******

**Special mentions of reviewers: luvgirl101, Vaughn Tyler, 1XxKiraXx1, Padme4000, emptyonideas, Vanafindiel**

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><p>Jarring seesaw motions and seeing straight to the moving ground underneath is not how I would advise waking up. Groggy and disoriented, my brain thought I was free falling and jolted my muscles accordingly. The slight shift in balance sent me teetering over the edge of my mare's neck, face first.<p>

A sharp yelp tore from my lips and a quick hand caught the back of my clothes in a fist, hauling me back up with a yank. Bleary eyed but fully awake with a hammering heart and rush of blood to my head, I saw the dwarves riding ahead, their heads turned around. Shock gave way to chuckles, eye rolls, and grunts of annoyance; Fili and Kili were of the laughing kind, providing a surround sound of mirth on my either side.

Utterly embarrassed from not only falling asleep in front of everyone, but being rescued by Fili from breaking my neck in an undignified death, I sputtered, "What time is it?"

"Just after two," Fili answered, a broad smile still curling his mustache upward.

I had slept well through the morning, on a moving pony in broad daylight no less. Hanging on until nightfall would have been preferable since using the animal as a bed left me sore with a major kink in my back. To add insult to injury, my face itched and I rubbed where I could feel impressions from the pony's coarse hair running across my cheek.

Kili, who was riding on my right, chuckled. "You did an excellent imitation of a stone troll."

"Though you may have had a little drool, right here." Fili traced a corner of his mouth.

I swiped at my face, feeling nothing. "I did not."

Kili pulled his pony closer. "Oh yes, a big gob of saliva, massive it was. You could have filled a water pail with the size of it."

My nose crinkled and I was backed by Ori. "He is jesting Miss, you were not drooling."

I was torn between thanking him and uncomfortably wondering why he watched closely enough to determine if I had drooled or not. Fili and Kili laughed, not even trying to deny their lie.

Through a blush of annoyance, I pointed at the small redheaded dwarf who had taken my side. "Ori."

He looked around him then then pointed to his chest. "Y-yes, that is my name."

Ori turned red when I made a miniature fist pump at my side, hissing a triumphant, "yes."

When I found out the merry band of dwarves were really small groups of families, and each family had names that fit together like a well thought out jigsaw, It became a whole lot easier to remember who was who - one would think someone who spent all of their time memorizing information in books about biology and medicine would be able to remember the names of 13 dwarves.

A while later I was reciting, "Ori, Dori, Nori."

"Nye, I'm Gloin, always have been. I don't think my name will have suddenly changed unless my mother, may her beard never fall off, confused me with another wee lad." The ax loving ginger haired dwarf I had called Nori scoffed.

"Right, Gloin. You're Nori." I pointed to the dwarf with a ridiculous star shaped hairdo that made me uncomfortable just by looking at it and received an eye roll.

"You got it right for once." Nori gibed. "I bet you'll forget it again in five minutes."

I ignored him. "Fili, Kili." I denominated the dwarves ridding close behind.

"Are you sure I am not Kili?" The blond haired one quirked a brow.

Was he Kili? I always had them mixed up, or…no, that shit eating grin said otherwise. "You're Fili, stop trying to confuse me."

Fili feigned shock. "You saw right through me madam. I commend your sharp wit."

"It's Meg," I reminded him. I hated it when any of the dwarves called me Lady, madam, or any other proper name. My full name was becoming less annoying if it meant I could be called Megara instead of one of those unflattering fluff terms.

Fili sat up straighter, clinking the throwing axes strapped to his boots against the saddle. "I was not aware we were already on such good terms, Lady Meg."

"If you call me lady one more time I'll shove you off the nearest cliff."

It had not escaped my attention how the dwarves loathed my way of addressing them directly without adding Sir, Master, or their father's name after designating their own. That was one tradition I was not going to respect; stiff edict was not my forte and sounded more like an insult than an acknowledgement.

"You wound me Miss." Fili, wearing a smug countenance, splayed his hand over his chest in mock hurt.

"Fili, Meg, watch this!"

Fili and I turned to Kili who, in one swift movement, slung over the side of his pony to hang upside down. He hung onto the saddle with his legs bent and arms clutching the horn and cantle, looking every bit like a monkey with this long hair scrapping the ground.

"Get up you idiot! You're going to fall off. What are you, 30?" Fili jerked his pony back and trotted around behind mine to reach his brother.

Kili laughed, his face turning red from a rush of blood. "Pfft, it's perfectly safe. Check this out." He lifted his legs into the air and promptly started to slide downward. His eyes widened and his knuckles turned white as he murmured warningly, "Bother."

He was about to hit the ground when Fili grabbed one of his boots, and said boot slid right off Kili's foot. I jerked my pony away to keep it from stepping on Kili's crumpled body that fell with a thump and a muffled 'Oof'.

Fili jumped from his mount without stopping it, barking at his brother. "You fool. I told you that was a bad idea, just like the last time you tried to stand on the pony and you _knew_ it wouldn't end well." Fili bemoaned his brother's intelligence. "When will you ever learn?"

Kili sat up and rubbed his head, looking a bit dazed. I slid off my pony and hesitantly approached, not sure if I would be welcomed or needed while Fili brushed his fingers around a smeared spot of dirt on Kili's forehead.

"Are you okay?" My question was overshadowed by Thorin's thundering footsteps rushing by.

Thorin looked between Fili and Kili, his eyes resting on the latter with open concern. "What happened? Kili, why are you bleeding?"

Kili looked down in shame, his face inflamed with embarrassment. "Fell off the pony is all."

"Fell off?" Thorin wondered incredulously. "How in Durin's name did you fall off?"

Fili, who held his brothers shoulder's answered, "It was nothing uncle."

Kili nodded. "Right, I'm fine. I have a thick skull."

I was familiar with that particular pensive stance and angry glare, Thorin was about to verbally dish out a tongue lashing.

"He tried to do gymnastics on his pony." I covered quickly with a small amount of snark, cringing because I had not meant it to come out that way, and Thorin peered over his shoulder, gauging my expression.

"Do you think this is some kind of game?" Thorin said darkly, aiming his judging look my way as if this were all my fault.

"No," I said automatically.

"Uncle, it was not her fault." I was surprised when Fili came to my rescue. "Kili was just being stupid."

Kili looked up at his brother, betrayal written in his eyes.

Thorin towered over Fili and Kili since they were crouched on the ground. "You swore you would behave yourselves, not act like foolish dwarflings. Do not make me regret bringing you on this quest."

Fili and Kili bowed their heads, daring not to speak back.

"Oin, see to his wound, then we must push on," Thorin declared and walked over to Balin who was watching from atop his pony with interest.

The healer of the group was quick to go to Kili's side though the younger dwarf swatted away the attention to his head while frowning, insisting, "I'm fine, leave it alone."

When we stopped for the night I was immensely pleased to discover we were following a river not five minutes away, running parallel to our slowly blazing path. It was Ori who informed me out about it from when he came to take my water skin to have it filled. I offered to help him and made it a point clean myself up along the way. It's amazing how much cleaner a person could feel from just washing their face and scrubbing down their hair.

Ori stood watch, begging me to hurry up with washing so we would not get in trouble for lingering, but he could wait. I had my pack at my side, my wet skin drying in the waning sun, and the tattered notebook in my hands. During the afternoon the knowledge of its existence had slowly eaten a hole in my willpower. For some strange reason I did not want the dwarves to know I had it and even less so the contents of its pages when I had no idea what was in them myself. But now that I was alone, there was nothing holding me back.

When I fingered the bound paper to check the length, I found only half of it was filled when it was not a large notebook to begin with. The passages were short and not particularly elegant, reminding me of my own rough essays when I was sixteen. A passing of time between entries was impossible to guess titles and the formatting had the inconsistency of a college student trying to figure out the way they wanted to structure their lecture notes for the rest of the semester. The information was filled with spatial and temporal gaps I had to fill in with an unreliable stretch of my imagination. In the notebook the author had been confused and angry then excited and obsessive, almost enamored; and there were names mentioned that I recognized, all of them elves.

After reading the last, ominous passage, I was blind to the pages and numb to the slight chill creeping behind the sinking sun, deaf to the sounds of insects taking the place of chirping birds. I gazed at the graying river then looked downstream and up at the trees. I finally looking back at the book before closing it with a heaviness weighing on my chest. There really was no hope of getting home. This was where I would die: here, in Middle Earth. There would be no going home.

* * *

><p>The following day I stared more at my mare's neck than at the horizon or the dwarves. Kili was my silent companion, riding behind me with clouded eyes despite Bofur's tale, directed at Kili, about a drunken lad who found himself stuck on the roof of a tavern without a shirt or shoes and missing his precious pipe that used to be his mother's.<p>

Fili hummed a quiet tune every once in a while, the same one that accompanied the song I heard the dwarves sing the first night I spent in Middle Earth. Around lunch he hurled apples from the nearby supply ponies at Kili and I and I had a suspicion he intentionally aimed for our heads.

At camp that evening Oin and Gloin kindled a fire under Thorin's orders while I was appointed pony duty with Fili and Kili to brush and water the animals.

Dwalin dug vegetables out of a bag, readying them for a stew, his nose scrunched in disgust. "There better be some meat tonight," he said to no one in particular but loud enough for anyone with ears to hear.

After finishing my appointed duty, I stood near the ponies, stroking my mare's shoulder as she fed on the grass. The contents of the notebook still plagued my mind but the passing of a day had taken the edge off its finality. It was clear there was nothing I could do short of committing suicide if I wanted to return home.

Blocking out the thoughts, I tried to focus on the here and now by watching on the dwarves in camp.

Outside of my own volition, my eyes went immediately to Fili who stood alone, leaning against a tree and smoking from a beautifully carved pipe. He watched Kili with an unreadable expression as the younger brother helped Bombur set up his cooking pot. Kili's posture was hunched, his eyes downcast and void of his usual cheer. I felt a pang of sympathy for the dwarf, his uncle had essentially called him a burden, something I knew he was not after witnessing his archery skills against the wargs. I was the real burden, Thorin had made that perfectly clear. I did not want to admit it but it was part of the reason I avoided the brooding leader as much as possible.

Shouldering my things, I went to stand by Fili's side. He made no movement to indicate he knew I was there, instead remaining lost in thought.

After a lingering, but comfortable silence, I voice, "Does he always mope like this?"

Fili looked up, pulling his pipe away from his mouth and breathing out a puff of smoke. "I did not realize you would be so concerned."

I sensed he was gauging something but I was not sure what. I shrugged. "You think maybe if we took him hunting he would lighten up?"

Fili lowered his pipe and unconsciously licked his lip. "We?"

An immediate feeling of rejection clenched my chest and an ever present nervousness that bubbled up whenever I spoke with the dwarves, particularly one-on-on, reared its ugly head. "Dwalin might skin everyone alive if he has to be a vegetarian one more night."

Fili glanced at the tattooed warrior who snapped a carrot in half like it was an orc head, and looked back at me with a knowing smirk. "He wouldn't be the only one." Then his face fell, returning to his previously guarded expression. "Though, why my brother? What interest do you have in him?"

A silent sigh shook my lungs, I did not wanting to say it aloud, but found I would have to if I did not want to be seen as suspicious or creepy. "It bugs me when people mope, I don't know why, I just don't like it. He seems to have fun when he shoots his bow so I thought hunting might cheer him up."

Fili smiled then, a real smile that made his blue eyes shine. "Indeed. It's his craft after all, even if it's an elf one."

Again with the elf bashing. "I don't see how it's an elf thing. They don't have a monopoly on bows, I doubt they invented them."

Fili chuckled, borderline laughing.

Dignified as ever when confused, I drawled, "What?"

Fili shook his head. "Nothing at all. Shall we depart and relieve Kili of his 'moping' as you like to put it?"

* * *

><p>"Whoever brings back the most meat takes the other's next night watch." Fili preened his oddly shaped knife. Its tip was hacked off at an angle though still plenty sharp, and had an ornate yellow and brown hilt with a crest pressed into the blunt end of the wood.<p>

"Fine. Not like you can ever beat me anyway." Kili's jest fell flat under his painfully neutral expression.

"Don't think you have already won, brother. It will make you a sore loser." Fili reached up and messed Kili's hair with aggressive swipes. Kili balked and duck to get away, managing to only make it easier for Fili to reach.

Kili's eyes grew haughty. "I would like to see you bring down anything bigger than a rabbit. Watch, I'll bring back a monumental stag." He gripped his bow tight and stormed off into the woods, drawing an arrow in a blurred motion before disappearing from sight.

A sharp _'shing'_ rattled when Fili drew his second hunting knife from his vambrace, his eyes mirthful. "Come, we'll have to find a rather large catch to best him."

Somehow, I was stuck with Fili. Not that it was a bad thing, but Kili was one of the few dwarves I found I could be around without feeling a thousand miles out of my league. Though, I was watching Fili rather dubiously at present.

I cleared my throat. "Are you expecting to kill a deer with a pocket knife?" His blades were more the size of steak knives, but that was not the point.

Fili turned his weapons over curiously before shrugging. "It should be easy enough. Just a quick stab of the blade. And if they get too far away, I can always throw a knife or an ax."

"That's not going to work unless you have the reflexes of a cheetah," I said flat out. A sword, really, how could he possibly get close enough to use them on a flighty deer?

Fili looked a bit hurt by my well placed lack of faith.

"Sure it will." He grinned though I was fully unconvinced.

Fili swaggered through the woods - yes, swaggered, with his hair flying from side to side, head held high and chest puffed out as he took purposeful strides. He was going to scare off anything remotely edible and I wondered if he were doing it on purpose or if he simply had no concept of stealth.

He eventually slowed his pace, looking around every so often as we followed alongside the river. With the way he kept trudging forward, I was starting to wonder if he was searching for dinner or just wandering aimlessly through the forest to kill time.

I looked down at the river when my foot connected with the stream's bank, and I staggered, feeling as if I had just walked through a wall of water and into an ocean. The sensation of liquid filled my lungs when I breathed in sharply and I sucked down a wave of panic. There was nothing visible, but a cool prickling reminiscent of the beads of magic I had grown accustomed to lapped over my skin at a heightened intensity.

In a rush, I searched out Fili with my eyes and found him still walking ahead, betraying no inclination of unease. I wondered if I were imagining everything, if I was going crazy. I was disposed to shake the sensations off as a conjuring of my mind but common sense was discredited when a soft song rang, not in my ears, but from inside my head. A chill went up my spine and I wanted to bolt right then and there but found I was paralyzed. There were no words to the song, it was melodious and complex, grating yet beautiful with double tones. The melody was almost physical, sending a creeping pressure of an invisible hand crawling up my arm and onto my shoulder.

"Is something the matter? Do you see something?" Fili, who had turned around upon sensing I was no longer following, backtracked to where I was rooted and followed my vacant gaze across the river.

Indescribably, His proximity radiated a natural warmth that chased away some of the chill and banished the invisible hand, making it easier to breathe and allowing me to gather my wits enough to move an inch away from the water and closer to Fili.

Hesitantly, I asked, "Do you hear singing?" Please tell me I'm not crazy.

He paused, turning stoic as boulder with his head turned to the side, listening intently. It was inhuman how still he could be and I found I was holding my breath until he reanimated with a frown.

"I hear nothing." He said in all seriousness, saving me from feeling like a fool. If he had laughed I probably never would have opened my mouth again.

"Something doesn't feel right. I don't know how to describe it," I admitted, but left out a crucial detail I was personally warring with; particularly the one about the singing and its possible connection to the person in the notebook and by extension myself.

Fili swiveled left and right, a hand resting on the hilt of his sheathed sword. "We'll go this way," he motioned toward the woods. "I don't see any creatures making use of the water, we may have better luck amongst the trees."

I had not expected him to believe or act on my feelings, but it was a physical relief when we vacated the river's edge, leaving behind the fading, wordless singer and the sensation of wading through water to return to the familiar cool splashes of suspended invisible rain drops. Though Fili claimed to not hear anything, his shoulders fell out of their taut hold the same time I felt the air change from a pond to a rainfall.

Fili stopped so abruptly I nearly ran into him. He looked back with a confident smile. "Look there."

I bent down and peered over his shoulder catching movement of something in the near distance. "I can't tell what that is from here."

Fili slowly drew his sword while muttering, "Boar."

"You're seriously going to hack it to death?" I incredulously wondered at his blade. "How are you going to get close enough?" I dropped beside him when he crouched, returning to a state of stone. His eyes were darting about the woods, a storm of thought brewing behind his irises.

"I have a plan."

His plan was asinine, just like the boar he wanted to shoot. The animal I finally managed to spot was big enough to rival the infamous Hogzilla. I exaggerate, but it was bigger than any hog I had seen at FFA fairs. I suggested we move on since something that size would take forever to cook but Fili was adamant we take it down. Begrudgingly, it was why I was now crouched in the bushes with my elven bow and an arrow loosely notched, pointed at the ground.

I glanced nervously at Fili's slowly moving mass of blond hair, the only part of him visible as he crept toward the rooting boar. "Right, shoot the boar, expect I'll be able to kill it let alone hit it." I murmured sardonically.

When I said as much to Fili minutes before, he did not expound beyond, "All I need is a good distraction to keep it off my scent. Though, I won't complain if you can fell it in one stroke."

Right, dig a deeper grave for my confidence why don't you.

For a moment, I lost Fili after glancing at the boar that had yet to move further than a few inches. Panic gripped my insides until I spotted a waving hand off to the side, the signal. I pulled up the bow, arrow pulled taut, and swore under my breath when I jumped up out of the bushes, knowing my aim would suffer from the position change. My arrow flew before the boar could react and sunk into its back. It squealed an ear splitting screech and Fili leapt out of the bushes with a war cry, bringing his sword down. The boar's black eyes saw me before Fili and it snarled, bucking in pain and rage, and started at blind charge. Its surprising speed threw off Fili's trajectory by a lifesaving amount. Fili only managed clipped the boar's haunches, and though its hind end nearly collapsed, it kept moving as if had not noticed the attack that nearly amputated its hind leg.

The world slowed and my eyes went wide at the bleeding animal. Dirt flew off its dusty black fur and its mouth was wide, baring a threatening set of tusks thicker than my arm, charging with deranged squeals to right where I was standing.

"Meg! Run!" Fili, who took chase after a moment of shock, snapped the horrid realization of the impending danger into real time and I floored it to get away.

Branches smacked my face and I rebounded off the trees in a zigzag pattern, marginally remembering that was what you were supposed to do if an alligator was chasing you on land. I had no idea if would work on a boar, but by some luck the animal was dazedly running into the same trees I dodged in its haste to follow. Its upturned tusks scrapped away bark, flinging leaves about while screaming ceaselessly.

Fili shouted above the racket, "Left, left!"

I wanted to shout, "I know!" but was too focused on not letting Hogzilla Jr. maul my back.

At a tree I recognized, I jumped and landed unsteadily. A loud snap and heightened, pain filled squeal reverberated the same instant a rope went taught across my path at ankle level. My boots caught on the rope and I flipped forward, landing spectacularly on my hands and knees. I went down with a yell that was drowned out by the struggling boar tied in my trap that was meant to be a backup plan. Fili had protested the idea, claiming his plan was fool proof, but I had not wanted to rely on brute force like he wished. At the moment I was glad for thinking ahead.

Tusks gouged into the dirt at my heels as the boar struggled against the rope tied around its hind legs. It was yanking so hard that I feared it would tear its own leg off just to get at me.

A loud _zing_ went over my head and a brown shaft ran right between the boar's eyes a millisecond before Fili's wordless battle cry rose above the racket. He leapt from behind the animal, driving his sword into the back of the boar's head. He looked up sharply, his blond hair flying back out of his face while he straddled the now still beast, and our eyes locked. Breathing heavily, His eyes were wide and gleaming with disbelief, then they turned into a triumphant grin and a nod that said, 'well done', until he saw the arrow.

Fili yanked it out of the boar's head and inspected the wedge shaped stone head for half a second before looking up.

"I think that counts as my kill." A smug Kili shifted his bow over his shoulder.

"Says the one who did none of the work." Fili threw Kili's spent arrow aside. "Lady Meg and I mortally wounded and trapped the beast."

My protest of, "Don't call me lady," went unheeded.

"Yet I'm the one who delivered the final blow." Kili scoffed.

"That was cheap shot." I countered, though I was grateful all the same that he putting an end to the boar before it could break loose and gouge my face out.

* * *

><p>Getting the beast back to camp was backbreaking work and awkward thanks to its great girth and the closeness of the trees. Fili, Kili, and I used the rope from the trap to haul the carcass back to the camp a good ten minutes away. I doubted two grown men could move the body by themselves but the dwarves huffed and sweated as they worked slowly but surely. I was near useless in terms of weight to throw around so I mostly skirted around the body, digging my heels into nearby trees to give good shoves to reposition the body or unhook its bent side when it swung too far one way or the other.<p>

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we made it back to camp.

"Next time," I huffed between breaths. "Can you pick one that's no so damned big?"

Fili and Kili doubled over, clutching their knees.

"That's," Fili panted, "Agreeable." He stood up and leaned his back against a tree.

"Are you kidding? Next time I want to find a bigger one," Kili rushed out in one breath and received glares for his efforts.

The company was surprised by our spoils and there was an immediate shift in the air, one that came in the form of smiling dwarves and a non-stop chatter about the various ways the boar could be cooked. Even Thorin may have been impressed, though he scolded the three of us for bringing back too much and made us promise there would be nothing bigger than a rabbits from then on.

Gloin and Dwalin were quick to start skinning the animal, an activity I was happy to sit out, choosing instead to take a seat next to Bilbo who turned away when I sat down.

"Your broodiness is showing," I told the hobbit.

"I do not brood." He fished out a brown leather pouch took a pinch of leaves to drop into his wooden pipe. It was not as intricate as some of the dwarves', but it was a good few inches longer.

"Then what are you doing right now?" I asked pointedly.

"Calming my nerves while being surrounded by confounded dwarves."

"Sure," I drawled disbelievingly and was rewarded with a stern 'Humph'.

When I looked away from the hobbit my nose came in contact with petals and I blinked at a white flower.

I took it so it was out of my face and I could finally see who was there. "Ah, thank you."

Bifur spoke in Khuzdul and patted my head before walking away, leaving me flabbergasted. "What was that about?"

Bilbo took a long draw of his pipe and shook his head before turning so his back was to me, muttering, "Confusticate these dwarves."

Bombur made a feast of the meal and I had to hand it to him, he was creative when it came to cooking large quantities of meat in a relatively short amount of time. Shamefully, a lot of it had to be tossed back into the woods for lucky scavengers since there was no time to properly dry and preserve the meat.

After the meal when darkness reigned, leaving the only sources of light the campfire and a waning moon, the company was in high spirits, smoking pipes and chatting away in freer tones than when elves had been present in Rivendell. At some point Bofur pulled out his flute that had miraculously survived the warg attack and began playing. Bifur clapped in time with the beat and a song erupted; even Balin started singing the merry tune.

Trod on high, trod on low

Where we go brings riches gold

From kin of yore and dragons bed

Under the mountain we go

Bofur danced around a boot-tapping Gloin and Fili and Kili leapt up to join in dance and song, dragging Ori with them. It was oddly mesmerizing to watch the dwarves turn the nighttime woods and small campfire into a roaring tavern by their voices and movements alone. Bilbo at some point started humming the catchy tune and looked less likely lash out at the nearest person.

Fili and Kili swung around the circle of the fire and when they passed by, I was unceremoniously ripped from my seat.

"Wait!" I balked. "No, no I can't dance. Let me go!"

I panicked as Fili laughed and spun me around, right into Kili's arms. The only reason I moved with the beat was to keep from falling over or having my feet stomped to a pulp.

"Everyone can dance!" Kili threw me to Ori who went wide and red as a beat but never faltered in his steps.

"No I can't," I practically moaned and tried to escape but a hand caught my side and flipped me back around so I was trapped by Fili and my cheek was whacked by his flinging mustache braids.

"Have a little fun," he chuckled and twirled me around. I had little hope of resisting and would have fallen over from the force of the spin if he hadn't caught me again, only to spin me the other direction.

"Fili, you bastard, stop it!" I growled when I was facing him again, though a betraying smile was starting to creep up my lips.

There was a margin of surprise and a flash of hurt in Fili but it vanished almost instantly and he threw back his head with a laugh. Before I could ask what was so funny I was flung once again, this time before Bofur who caught me and let go so I could move at my own pace.

Other dwarves joined in, stomping and spinning around, singing that same tune over and over, growing louder with each repeat. No matter where I turned I couldn't get away. There were bodies and flailing limbs everywhere, some of the dwarves were jumping and Fili cartwheeled. They were not particularly graceful dances but it hardly seemed to bother them. I was trapped dancing with no one in particular when I was grabbed again, something I was quickly growing irritated with.

Kili was in my face faster than I could process and he nearly demolished my toes when he stomped outward. I sprang back into a furry body and was pushed lightly forward and turned around. I caught my uncontrolled momentum on a shoulder and my other wheeling hand was swallowed in a warm vice. Fili was smiling wider than I had ever seen him. His cheeks were dimpled and his forehead crinkled as he looked up and rocked me back and forth to the fast paced music. I couldn't for the life of me look away from his campfire lit eyes. They were blue, warm, and oddly alluring.

Without warning I was flung outward, his hand still gripping mine, and I was yanked back and steadied just as a great cheer went up and the songs ceased. My heart was hammering when I stared wide-eyed at Fili, unsure of what had just happened. At the absence of the dwarves' singing, it felt like a veil I had not notice was lifted and I was free to look around again.

"What just happened?" I asked a bit bemused.

Fili, who was panting less harshly than I was, nonchalantly said, "Oh, just a bit of Dwarven magic."

That was a surprise. "Dwarves can do magic?" I honestly thought they could not.

"Only a little. Normally it can only be placed into objects."

I glared. "What did you do?"

Fili looked highly amused, irritating me further. If he did something to manipulate my mood I was going to skin him alive.

"Nothing at all. Bofur was the one using the magic imbued in his flute."

I glanced at the aforementioned hatted dwarf who was laughing at some joke while sitting next to Bombur, then looked back at Fili with pursed lips. "Uh-huh. Magic," I drawled sarcastically.

Despite there being mentions of it here and there, I found it as hard to believe as a living, breathing dragon, even after my experience by the river earlier.

Fili looked slightly put out. "You doubt me?"

"No, I just…magic doesn't exist where I come from." Why was I always so brutally honest when around him? Things I would normally keep to myself just came out before I thought of withholding them.

He was floored. "Truly?"

I nodded and a loud rumble from Thorin cut off any reply I would have given.

"Fili, help your brother repack the ponies."

I blushed deep crimson when I realized Fili still held my hand lax at his side and his other was on my waist while I gripped his shoulder. We broke apart abruptly and I turned away swiftly in hopes he wouldn't see the burn on my cheeks.

* * *

><p><em>Day, who knows,<em>

_I found the woman who sang, over in a cave by the river. I couldn't see her but she spoke from somewhere in the darkness. She wanted me to come closer and I felt some kind of creepy pull. After the crazy transport incident I decided to keep my distance. She spoke in riddles half the time and I had no idea what she was going on about. Something about water and stone, and a bird._


	9. Chapter 9

**Special mentions of reviewers: luvgirl101, Vaughn Tyler, pischouette, LG176, 1XxKiraXx1, Vanafindiel. **

* * *

><p>Over the next few days gray clouds rolled in bringing a humid, steady drizzle. If our merry band was lucky it would lighten to a mist but the rain never stopped falling. I wished the sky would make up its mind to rain or clear up instead of hanging onto this miserable, permeating wetness. My wish was granted and it poured for three days straight.<p>

One thing I envied the dwarves for was their lack of shivering. The temperature plunge from being eternally wet left constant convulsions coursing through my muscles and it was impossible to get a warm fire started at night with moist wood; meaning meals were cold, tasteless, and uniform.

The saturated ground left few dry places to sleep. If I did not want to be covered in mud I had to sleep sitting up. Lucky me, I fell over every time I drifted and jerked awake from muscle spasms. At one point I was so desperate for a place to lay down that I tried climbing the trees in hopes of sprawling out on a branch. My plan ended in disaster when I slipped and scrapped my palms down the length of the bark, hitching on and embedding splinters into my skin that Oin painstakingly pinch out.

To add insult to injury my legs were starting to chafe horribly from riding the pony. Out of necessity I alternated riding side saddle and sitting in all kinds of awkward positions to avoid rubbing areas raw.

My constant fidgeting and squirming annoyed some of the dwarves to no end, particularly Gloin who, in more elaborate terms, called me a child. Even worse than the wetness and physical pains was the mind numbing procession. The dwarves were in an eternally foul mood, foregoing their songs and glory stories to let a miserable silence broken by grumbling reign in its place.

I loved having time think and enjoyed a good few days of splurging my taxed mind by doing virtually nothing when on break from school. Though, even when I had no papers or daily quizzes to continually worry about, I always read, surfed the web, played games, wrote stories, or dabbled in HTML. On one laidback weekend I taught myself to use an editing program just for the hell of it.

On earth I stimulated my brain nearly twenty four seven with multitudes of media and a constant flow of information - always absorbing and learning something new. This simplicity I was forced to endure, void of mass informational input, left me itchy and craving a computer or handheld game. I wanted a puzzle, a book. Hell, give me a math equation even though I hate math like the fiery pits of organic chemistry.

At some point I broke out the bone song, then the muscle song my professor made up. From the looks of the disgruntled dwarves I may as well have been singing pig Latin and they sounded offended _for_ me when they inquired if it was the music of my people. I assured them it was a memorization song, purely education and not meant to sound pretty.

I even started babbling - something I normally never did around people or outside of my own head - about black holes and anti-matter on a tangent after telling the stupidly nodding Fili and Kili about the structures of hydrocarbons. I think the dwarves were starting to suspect I was a witch or unconventional storyteller.

Fili and Kili met my splurges of garbled information with stories, all of them personal experiences or old dwarf legends. I learned about their mother, Dis, who sounded like a stern woman, taking no beef from anyone, especially not Thorin, her brother. Thorin himself was a constant in their life, acting as a father figure in the absence of their own. Kili remembered almost nothing about his father and flippantly shrugged off my questions about him, but I could see Fili physically and mentally withdraw when he briefly and vaguely explained that he died when they were young. Their loss and closeness with Thorin made me feel bad about my own relationship with my dad which involved a lot of arguing.

I soaked up their stories, finding them genuinely interesting. They grew up in a world so different from mine which had been filled with after school activities like swim team and orchestra, Latin and book clubs. There were no schools for youth to be locked away for their entire childhood and young adult lives in Middle Earth, their methods of learning were bound to trades and life skills wherever they could get them.

Fili apprenticed in blacksmithing years ago and was apparently very good at it, and he preferred to fight with a personal armory of short swords and knives so he always had a solution in close combat. Kili was a great horseback rider - when he wasn't making a blatant fool of himself - and archer and was skilled at making hunting traps leagues better than the crude tripwire getup I improvised during the boar hunt.

I found the more I got to know the brothers, the easier it was to look them in the eye without getting all flustered, particularly with Fili. I felt like a stupid high school girl when around them and was continually crushing of the dumb feeling under my heel, but it always snuck its way back into my chest with a flutter. They weren't the kind of guys I always pictured as my type: tall, lean, well shaven, hair cut short. There was no explanation for my physical attraction and I hoped the feeling would fade. I think it was, somewhat.

Evenings brought a reprieve to stretch my muscles and focus on an actual task with Kili teaching me how to use the bow, steadily increasing my accuracy and muscle strength. Fili would sit on the sidelines, smoking his pipe, watching us for entertainment as did a few others once their camp duties were finished.

Gandalf reappeared from the gloom on one of those evenings, riding his horse through the rain, water dripping from the brim of his pointed hat. Balin was the first to spot his arrival and the camp turned into a mixed uproar of happiness and irritation at the wizards return.

Thorin dragged Gandalf into the woods with an etched frown and I expected he wanted to give the ancient wizard an earful. If I remembered right, Gandalf was somewhere around two thousand years old, maybe more. My Middle Earth fact database was rusty.

Dori loudly fussed over Ori when the youngest caught his boot in the stirrup of his pony and face planted in the mud while the others stretched. Fili was pacing, acting somewhere between aggravated and bored, likely antsy from riding all day and itching to start scouting as was normal after taking care of the ponies. Kili was his shadow, moving his mouth fervently to form words I couldn't hear. Bofur was trying to get Bilbo to eat a bit of jerky while Oin and Gloin stubbornly struck flint against kindling that everyone knew wouldn't light.

I intently watched tree line, silently willing Gandalf to hurry up. They were taking longer than I could stand so I pulled my cloak close and slipped into the trees. Thorin was the first person I heard, speaking low and angry while I pressed against a tree out of sight, not wanting to barge in on the verbal fray.

Gandalf smoked his pipe, watching Thorin with a knitted brow while the prince made up for his lack of height with his bravado and large hand movements that pulled his shoulders up and emphasized his muscled girth.

"The hobbit was a bad enough decision. I kept him because I promised you could choose one member to join us – one – because you guaranteed the mission would not succeed without him. Now you have sent me a human child with questionable loyalties whom we happened upon at the eve of a troll attack."

Gandalf seized the opportunity to get a word in when Thorin drew a ragged breath. "Mistress Megara has done no harm by you."

Thorin pounced on the wizard like a mad dog. "She lacks all respect and honor, has no redeemable qualities useful to this quest and shares no loyalty- she has no place amongst us, she is nothing."

Bark tore under my nails and breathed through a growing knot in my chest. Thorin's dislike of my presence was common knowledge, but the venomous ferocity went deeper than I imagined. I wanted to think it didn't matter what he thought, but it did. He lorded over my contract and this quest, he could cast me aside at any time and I would be toothless. In reality, he was my boss and could fire me any time he saw fit.

"You are a fool, Thorin Oakenshield, and I would have you see reason though you refuse all sense of the word."

Thorin's eyes were stormy when he stepped forward and looked at Gandalf from under his brows. "If you have any sense you will take her with you the next time you take leave."

"You need every available person for the quest and Megara is willing to cast aside prejudice and old hurts. Men do not live as long and new generations do not hold grudges as fiercely as their ancestors once did, they can be persuaded. Give her a chance before tossing her wastefully aside, she may yet prove herself a worthy ally."

Thorin curled his fists. "Death does not give second chances."

Gandalf's scowl was openly disapproving but he said nothing, the silence speaking volumes.

"We will rest for the evening then leave early tomorrow to start through the very heart of the Misty Mountains." Thorin's parting words were curt. "We will follow your _path_, for now."

He stormed back toward camp and caught my eyes on his way out. His stony mask slipped for a nano second, betraying surprise and suspicion, then it was back and he left as if I had been speck of dirt on the wall.

The Wizard was busy readjusting his hat and straightened his robes as if dusting himself off after a bar when I stepped away from the tree.

"Gandalf?" I said in way of greeting, my inflection making it apparent there was a problem that had to be addressed.

He looked troubled when he recognized who I was.

"Hello my dear. How may I be of assistance?" His smile was fake.

I delved right to the point, my nerves wouldn't survive dancing around the subject. "Why did you send me after Thorin and his group?"

"I believe that question has already been answered or you would not be here at present."

In that moment I wanted nothing more than to throttle him. "No, What Thorin says is right."

Gandalf's mouth twitched, readying a speech I was not about to hear.

"I don't bring anything useful to this group and I know almost nothing about Middle Earth. I'm useless and don't have anything in common with them," I jabbed my thumb backward, indicating the nearby dwarves, "and Thorin hates my guts, the one person you told me to befriend. It takes two to tango and I can't force someone to like me." The problem was I hadn't tried to befriend him. It didn't help that he was the most unapproachable person on the planet.

Gandalf's mouth widened in what might have passed for a silent laugh.

"You think this is funny?" I snapped.

He took a puff from his pipe, partially masking a new expression behind gray smoke. "Certainly not."

My silent glare translated how unconvinced I was.

"Are you to admit you are not of this world?" Gandalf inquired.

He had to be joking. I couldn't be any more obvious unless I put a neon sign above my head, and he was damned near omniscient when it came to just about everything. When he was not, I distinctly remembered he was good friends with Galadriel who could see the future and read minds.

"You think?" I burst. "You probably know more about me than I do. Why else would you proclaim they would need me when at present it's obvious they don't?" 'They' being the dwarves again.

Gandalf puffed his pipe, watching through a screen of smoke, letting me stew in my pent up frustration.

"That is where you are wrong," he said as if it were obvious.

"Then what did Galadriel show you? I know you and her are always in cohorts. What future did she see that made you send me out here?"

Gandalf promptly choked on an inhalation of smoke and weathered a coughing fit. "Your knowledge proceeds your appearance. I have been fooled yet again."

"Don't change the subject."

"If you must know she saw nothing, not a clouded future nor an empty one. Your fate is as blank as a sheet of parchment, curiously unbound." He looked to the sky, seemingly in awe.

I was seconds away from tearing his obstructive pipe out of his hands and breaking it under my heel.

He shifted his gaze back down to earth and produced an unnerving smile. "Your fate is not bound in this world nor is it predetermined. The Valar has no influence over your future or who you may become. You do not belong to it, but to another and you are now beyond their grasp." His eyes lit up and he brought his pipe to his lips, murmuring, "Curious indeed."

Now he was talking nonsense, rambling like the old man he appeared to be, though I knew it was a ruse.

"I don't belong to anyone, I never have," I replied curtly.

"Maybe not, but it would not be so bad if you did. Things in this world have curious workings."

Mystic mojo wasn't going to give me a reason to stay, to keep pushing forward with a quest that had no benefit for myself other than to keep my hands and mind busy. Sometimes I felt like I was kidding myself, using the dwarves as a distraction from a bigger problem, like figuring out how to get home though I was certain it was impossible.

An invisible string that had been wound too tight snapped. "I don't serve a purpose and I was never meant to be here. There's no way to get home and there's nothing for me in this world. What's the point?!"

I had barely finished shouting when the air around Gandalf grew dark and he grew in height, his voice booming with command that crashed through the magic of the forest, buffering against the rain drops like a disturbance of wind, unable to completely push them out of the way. "Mistress Megara! Every soul has a purpose!" He then deflated like a balloon releasing air and his voice returned to normal. "You must find the point yourself. No one else can do it for you."

Unimpressed, I sneered. "If you're trying to scare me it won't work. I'm used to being yelled at and told I'm wrong, because apparently, I'm always wrong."

Gandalf's eyes radiated concern and looked about him, perturbed about the surroundings as if realizing for the first time something was not right about the forest. "This is not about being right or wrong, it is about taking action instead of lashing out like frightened children."

"I'm not scared," I reiterated, "I'm angry no one will give a straight answer instead of going off on tangents about fate and other mystical BS." My voice started to waver and crack and it was increasingly hard to keep talking coherently.

I pivoted on my heel, ready to escape before my burning eyes could spill, but the wizard said the one thing that could keep me from leaving.

"Glorfindel wished for me to give you something."

Blinking harshly to keep the damned tears at bay, I turned to Gandalf who produced a bundle of gray cloth from a pouch at his side and unwrapped it in his palm. Inside was a necklace with fine silver chain. Its pendant was shaped like a small bird with its wings flared above its head. At its center sat a white opal stone set with golden flecks.

"Is this supposed to be a peace offering?" I had no idea who Glorfindel was in relation to the books or movies, but I did not appreciate his sudden interest in me.

"More of a piece of mind. It will protect you from those who would wish you harm."

Incredulous, I said, "I'm not important enough to be on anyone's hit list."

Gandalf may not have understood the saying but he comprehended the idea. "As I said, it is for peace of mind. Nothing more, nothing less. Glorfindel only bids you keep it close." Gandalf cradled the necklace, holding it out to me. I grabbed only so I could leave sooner.

"Why does Glorfindel think I need this?" I tried to scrutinize the pendant to discover its significance but my blurred vision was having a hard time focusing.

"Birds carry messages to those who care to learn their language," Gandalf spoke sagely.

The words scrambled in my pounding head and I was well aware my mental capacity had hit the same wall it often reached after long hours of studying. I jammed the necklace into my front jeans pocket.

"Fine, keep talking in riddles." Every ounce of my self-control was exhausted during my abrupt ending of the conversation and l left without another word.

Back at camp my line of sight gravitated to Thorin speaking with Balin, the former looking every bit riled up as he had when speaking with the wizard. I sat on the roots of the nearest tree and curled my knees to my chest and held them there with my face buried in them. I couldn't stop the tears but I could at least hide them and keep silent long enough to ride out the frustration.

"Fili, Kili!" Thorin barked. "Scout ahead and look for a way to cross the river for morn."

The brothers eagerly sprang into action, going for their ponies which happened to be where I was sitting.

I stood, wiping the tears away angrily, hoping my wet eyes could be chalked up to rain water on my face. Fili rushed by to grab the reigns of his pony and tightened the saddle straps with deft fingers. Kili on the other hand stopped short and his dark eyes took critical survey of my face, instantly recognizing something was wrong. I glared at him best I could, radiating, '_ask and die'_.

He did not take the hint.

"Are you feeling well?" Kili voiced.

That was a funny way to put it.

Fili turned around sharply, looking at his brother then followed Kili's gaze to me, searching confusion etched in the lines on his face. "What's the matter?"

I brushed away the questions. "Mind if I help with scouting?" I hoped I wasn't sounding clingy, I saw plenty of them during the day since I tended to hang back with them, but I needed to get away from camp and a certain dwarf prince and wizard.

Fili was perturbed, clearly not happy with the dismissal and perhaps my suggestion, though in the end he shrugged. "I don't see why not."

My mouth twitched upward, glad I was not outright rejected no matter how insincere he might have been.

* * *

><p>I loathed to ride my mare again but the discomfort was worth escaping from camp. I rode in silence behind Fili and Kili who actively looked around, doing their job for all of fifteen minutes before they looked at each other simultaneously, looking back out of the corners of their eyes, and they grinned. Confused, I watched Fili materialize his daggers and start twirling them around like a skilled circus clown, tossing them to and fro. He bounced one of the hilts off his arm, sending it toward an off guard Kili who caught it on reflex.<p>

"You're rusty, Kili," Fili jested, catching the dagger Kili tossed back.

Kili shifted in his seat. "As rusty as my stomach is empty. Give me a good meal of cutlets and sausage and you won't be able to keep up."

Fili looked back slyly. "Are you skilled with daggers, Lady Meg?"

A second passed before I registered the question had been directed toward me while Fili's intense gaze waited on my answer. "N-no," I sputtered, pulling the hood of my cloak closer and shivering from the cold or nerves, I wasn't sure. Steely, I added, "And stop calling me Lady. Kili says my name just fine but the rest of you keep insisting on titles or using my whole name. It's just Meg."

"It would be an insult to such a Lady to call her by a simple name."

My face screwed up. "Do you want me to punch you?"

By now he was somewhat used to my ineloquence so Fili didn't miss a beat. "Sure. I doubt it would do any damage." He spread his arms out, inviting me to run up and wail at him.

"Only creepy old men with ulterior motives call women Lady or Madam." I said harsher than I had meant.

_Useless, grades not good enough, needs more makeup, eating too much to stay skinny for much longer, make up your mind about your life, don't be a burden. _Those were the words I was used to being addressed by.

Fili slowed his pony, feigning hurt. "You wound me. I'll have you know I'm plenty young and not the least bit creepy."

Thorin was right, I had no reason to on this quest, I was a hindrance, extra baggage. I could not build a fire, cook, fight, or befriend the brooding prince as I was asked. Only recently had I learned how to strap on a saddle and correctly tie knots to secure bags thanks to a patient Ori. My usefulness lied in computers and tricks that required modern technology. Resources in Middle Earth were frustratingly unavailable and the smallest things such as bathing were different here. The elves of Rivendell had a complicated set up, requiring I wash off with a cold basin of water before getting into the actual tub. They were mortified to find I had thoroughly soiled the bath water the first night.

A tap on my shoulder brought my downcast eyes upward to Kili who had dropped back to ride next to me. Fili was on my other side and I wasn't sure when they had surrounded my mare, bobbing up and down in their seats upon their sauntering ponies. Their presence radiated warmth, oddly comforting yet stifling at the same time.

"Take a look at what we found." Kili smirked deviously.

Curiosity got the better of me and I pushed a wild strand of wet hair out of my eyes and looked at his outstretched hand. He held a collection of gold coins with unfamiliar markings pressed into them.

"We found them in the troll horde and if I remember correctly you received nothing for your troubles with the monsters though you were just as inconvenienced as we were." Fili pulled his hand out of a side pouch and extended it toward me. There were not just coins but expensive looking jewelry and a gold chain dangled between his thick fingers.

"What am I going to do with those?" Did they expect I would buy my way out of this mess or was it a weird apology for the whole Lady thing?

Fili's took my hand and cradled it while cascading the glistening gifts into my palm. I had to use both hands to keep the treasure from pooling into the mud beneath the ponies' hooves when Kili reached over and dropped his coins into the mix.

"I can't take this." I didn't need their sympathy or compensation for the stupid trolls. There had to have been a conversation I missed while zoning out if we were now talking about trolls, an incident I nearly forgot about after everything else.

"Your hands are freezing." Fili covered my hands with his, easily engulfing them and the overflowing gold.

"The rain makes everything cold." As if to punctuate my point the constant shiver I sported gave an extra violent shutter from the sudden change in air temperature radiating from the warmth of his hands.

"You look terrible." Kili quickly found himself on the receiving end of my backward glower. Kili laughed nervously under Fili's severely disapproving glare. "I mean, we all look terrible. It's been awful for days. Just look at Fili's hair, his braids are a mess."

Fili sighed, exasperated. "Really brother?"

"Don't worry about it, your hair still looks better than mine," I assured Fili with a congested sniff though the hair on the back of my neck was standing on end from their nearness.

Fili's hair was weighed down with water and most of his braids were undone, frizzed and unkempt. The waterlogged style was a stark contrast from the diligent way he preened his mane before and during Rivendell. He wasn't alone, my hair was particularly unmanageable as well and I was becoming reacquainted with my curls that sucked up the humidity and poofed out like a wild animal when wet. Every day I lamented my straightener and frizz control sprays.

As if to curse my locks the mist turned into fat raindrops, threatening another short downpour.

"There's not much that can be done about any of our hair for the moment, I'm afraid," Fili looked at the sky ruefully, sharing my disdain for more rain.

"But why are you giving me gold?" I asked warily. There had to be an aim, no one was this nice without ulterior motives.

"Why did you help us?" Fili countered and I wracked my brain for a time I had been helpful but came up short. All I had done was badger them.

"Not so I could be showered with gold. Seriously, take this back, it's not mine." I shoved my burden at Fili who held his hands up.

"What has been given cannot be so easily taken back." Fili sounded like he was reciting an old proverb but I couldn't decipher its relevance to the situation.

I looked between him and a nodding Kili, and the pile of gold items that needed a good scrub to restore their shine.

"I don't understand, but thank you." I shoved my hands ladened with jewels and gold into my bag strapped to the side of my mare.

"You earned it, isn't that right brother?" Kili wiggled his eyebrows at Fili who turned his head away sharply.

"It looks as though we have found the bridge Thorin was talking about." Fili announced a notch louder than his previous speech.

The so called bridge had nearly submerged into the swollen river, collecting a dam of sticks and leaves along the side facing upstream. The water was rushing like a draining sewer line, racing to the bottom of the mountains, fueled by the increasing rains. Thunder clashed in the distance, a sure sign it was about to pour.

"That looks safe," I mused with dripping sarcasm.

Kili broke away, guiding his pony closer. "Let's test it out."

"Kili, wait." Fili spurred forward and gripped Kili's arm. "That might not be a good idea."

"We have to make sure it's crossable for in the morn. What would Thorin say if we came back without assuring it was safe?" Kili raised his brows at Fili.

Fili let go of Kili and rolled his eyes. "Fine then, but I shall make sure it's safe." He surveyed the bridge critically and looked down the length of the river.

"Don't tell me you're scared." Kili smirked.

He was met with determined blue eyes and a wildly grinning Fili. "Scared? Nay, I merely cannot allow my dear younger brother to rush dangerously into the rushing when I know how much he hates swimming."

Kili recoiled. "That was long time ago."

Fili dropped the banter, turning serious. "I jest, but it is partly why I should go instead."

"Fine," Kili pouted. "Get on with it then. I'm hungry."

I wondered what happened but kept my mouth firmly shut as Fili turned his pony around, closing in on the bridge. The animal hesitated when the water lapped at its hooves, shifting back and forth under Fili's spurring. It walked awkwardly onto the wooden planks covered in a thin film of moving water, shaking out its legs and twitching its muscles each time it took a step.

"See, you worried for nothing," Kili chastised though Fili had to ignore him to focus on controlling the increasingly agitated pony as the rain turned into a light downpour.

He was nearly to the other side when my heart stopped under a crash of thunder. Fili's pony stumbled and screamed, falling on its side and plunging into the river, rolling over a yelling Fili and forcing him under the rushing water.

* * *

><p><em>I don't know what day it is and I can't believe I'm writing a diary like some girl,<em>

_I saw elves! Honest to god elves, the very ones from Tolkien's universe, my all time favorite books. Elrond, Galadriel, and Glorfindel. They were returning from war with a whole band of elves. I think I'm in the first age, I know I am. They took me to Rivendell and it lives up to the hype. It's white and huge, full of waterfalls and elves. Glorfindel has started teaching me to wield a sword and Elrond is lending me books to learn their language. Today I told Glorfindel about the hidden singing woman. She always talked in riddles when I went to the edge of her cave, but I think she knows how I got to Middle Earth and how to send me home. Glorfindel told me to stay away from her but wouldn't say why. He left before I could ask. Now I have to figure out who that mystery woman is. _


	10. Chapter 10

**Special mentions of reviewers: filimeala, luvgirl101, Blonde Pickle Mule, Padme4000, Treklocked Asgardian, Vaughn Tyler**

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><p>"Fili! Fili!" Kili fumbled from his mount, catching his foot on his stirrup while his other foot was on the ground. He hopped on one foot and yanked his other out of the saddle and he took off at a sprint, running upstream alongside the river.<p>

Fili's head breached the water's surface and he gasped for air with frantically splashing arms, searching blinding for anything to hold onto. Fili passed by Kili who reached out, grasping air in an empty gesture of uncertainty and helpless want. Fili was pulled under again, seconds from being clobbered in the head by the flailing hooves of his pony as the animal flipped over its back.

"Fili!" Kili's screams turned shrill, only ever uttering one word as he took chase.

An Iron curtain crushed my stunned horror trapped on a repeat of Fili falling continuously in slow motion. My emotions became isolated, bringing on an empty numbness for my heart to hammer against.

The curtain was originally a barrier against relentless teasing toward my previously outgoing and gullible attitude as a child. In college I learned to lift that veil with reluctance after realizing people were not as horrible as I originally thought, it was only those I was forced to grow up around who made the world feel so cold. In relation to life outside the bubble I grew up in, my problems were trivial, but words can inflict deeper and longer lasting wounds than swords or guns.

With steady fingers I unhooked a rope looped at the side of my mare's saddle and turned the pony toward Kili who searched desperately for a glimpse of golden hair. He cried out when Fili bobbed to the surface, gasping for breath. Fili's pony was now behind him and the creature looked more like a bloated log than an animal the further it was swept away.

"Fili, grab my hand! Come this way!" With outstretched fingers Kili beseeched his brother to fight the bracken and churning mud polluting the waters.

Fili turned at his brother's voice and tried to swim toward the bank but a branch full of green leaves smacked into his face. He fought with the greenery, trying to shove it aside as it surged about him like a high speed car wrapping around a pole. His head snapped back to avoid being gouged in the eye by one of the many lateral branches and he knocked his skull against a boulder with a sickening thud. He lost all sense and slipped under the water.

My curtain of iron was raised most days with only a ghosting remnant of it staying behind. I could never destroy something so meticulously crafted and deeply ingrained in my conscious but I could no longer keep it down indefinitely or became drained. On my first observed ambulance ride I rediscovered its usefulness in a different light. I could effortlessly pull it down to block out the screaming, smearing of blood, the smell of anesthetic, the wet popping of bone rubbing against bone, the sight of a broken tibia punctured through a leg after a motor cycle accident.

For the first time I used it to banish not hurtful insults or gore, but a churning, sick dread at watching Fili slip under the waters after bashing his head. He was likely unconscious or already dead.

"Run. We have to catch up. Please, go faster." I spurred my mare forward, coercing it with low, urgent mutters etched with ghosting tendrils of fear that threatened to reach up and strangle my throat.

The pony seemed to understand and shot forward on its stocky legs, picking up speed. Its hooves sank into the mud, making sucking noises under its weight, and slowly we gained on the rapidly separating brothers. I shot toward Kili who was gasping in great gulps of air and losing speed from his original sprint. Fili broke the surface again but this time only his back was visible, unmoving except where the river carried him.

Kili was about to jump in, I could see it in his eyes and the way his body turned toward the bank. In a flurry I cast off my cloak and jacket until I was in nothing but a T-shirt and leaned down and caught a fist full of Kili's hood. The mare's momentum made it easy to drag him over so he toppled into the grass. He hit the ground rather hard and I hopped he didn't injure himself, but it was better than having to deal with two drowning dwarves.

Hastily, I wrapped my rope several times around my waist and tugged on the other end that was tied to the mare's saddle. Ori's knot tying lessons had better hold because this was a highly stupid idea that would likely get everyone involved killed, but there was no time to come up with something slightly more sane.

My mare charged ahead of Fili and once I was a good feet ahead I abruptly yanked back on the reigns. The beast chomped and spat, neighing with displeasure as I leaned over. My body jerked back in betrayal, resisting what my conscious mind was instructing it to do. I broke my muscles' will with a curse and kicked off the mare, plunging into the water feet first.

Hitting the cold wetness was not as shocking as I imagined. I was already chilled and soaking wet and the impact was familiar. Water was not a stranger to me, I practically lived in it at one point and I felt no fear from its force as I let it tumble me onward. No, what scared me was not the current or the rushing in my ears, nor the smacking of branches and leaves swirling around like the inside of a tornado – it was the clear as a bell laughter radiating from inside my own head.

I kicked off the riverbed and broke the surface, gasping for breath. The laughter cut off mid ring and I inwardly focused, forcing a wave of fear to break against my iron curtain while focusing on a mantra of, "_Find Fili, find him. You can't leave until you find him."_

I couldn't see Fili and I worried he had shot ahead while I searched blindly in every direction with outspread arms and legs. Slime and abrasive wood brushed past my fingers, slicing exposed skin and aggravating the minute cuts made by splinters from a couple days ago. Finally, after my fingers were numb with cold, I felt fur and leather hurling by like a tumble weed. I latched onto it and wrapped my arms and legs tightly around whatever part of Fili's body I could find purchase.

I knew I would be jerked underwater but I underestimated Fili's sheer weight when I was pulled after him. My eyes snapped shut against the murky water and the rope around my waist pulled taught, and continued to pull jerkily, resisting the river's will to drag us further downstream.

A feminine voice filled my head, reverberating with calmness and a scornful undertone that paid the churning river no heed. _"Dear, foolish human. Sleep, let the waters lay your weary head to rest. Return to where you belong, return to nothingness."_

"_Fuck off!" _With a mental snarl I lashed out and curled more over Fili's back and a supernatural warmth grew near my hip. Tendrils of water whipped around counter to the current, tugging and yanking, trying to drag me further down. The warmth grew hot and the voice screamed in rage. It relinquished its writhing tendrils and withdrew into the ether with a wordless hiss.

The tension in the rope was getting to be too much. My lungs were bursting, begging to breathe inward even if it meant sucking in a rush of water. The rope yanked again and again. Discomfort turned to pain as the ropes dug deeper just above my hip bones. My lungs were at their limit and I couldn't stop sucking in a gasp at a particularly painful pull.

Water ran into my mouth, pouring into my lungs, burning like liquid fire. I saw sparks under my eyelids just as my head was dragged above water and over grass. I breathed willingly, sucking in air while simultaneously gagging, suffocating on the water my constricting chest desperately tried to expel.

My mare pulled, snapping the bouncing rope repeatedly with each step back. I felt pain at my waist, pain in my legs, a hurricane in my head, fire in my lungs. Fili, I couldn't let go of him, I had to ignore the pain. I had to make sure he didn't fall back into the water.

Kili dropped into the mud mid sprint, skidding on his knees, and grabbed the taught rope to saw it with his knife. The rope snapped and I was released, falling to the ground in a haze. I rolled over, releasing Fili and retched, feeling as if my lungs were giving birth to flames. My chest heaved, crushing bile and water out of my stomach and lungs. Blissfully, the coughing fit ceased and I fell over, shaking. Twice over the coughing fits came back and I rode out the waves like they were especially bad cramps.

"He's not breathing, he's not breathing! Fili! Don't leave me, you can't do this! Breathe, please brother, breathe. I beg of you." Kili's voice cracked and I heard him choke repeatedly on his praying words. It wrenched my heart, nearly tearing it in two, and gave me the strength to roll to my knees.

I stumbled when I tried to stand so I settled for crawling on my hands and knees, dragging along the rope still tied about my waist.

"Move," I snapped and jostled with a reluctant Kili. He was shaking so fiercely I was able to shove him aside when under any other circumstance I wouldn't have been able to, especially not in my current state.

I took in Fili lying face up in the grass, his head was lulled to the side with closed eyes and his chest rested eerily still. My EMS classes came flooded to the forefront and I knew what needed to be done. I parted his fur coat and formed clutched fists and locked my elbows, implanting my knuckles just under the base of his ribcage. I pushed upward with every ounce of strength in my body, forcing the water in his lungs to rush up and out. Through his layers of clothes I felt a stiff resistance that bit like angry teeth into my fingers.

"What are you doing?! You've already tried to kill him! You would do it again?!" Kili spat behind me and grabbed at my arms, trying to wrench me away. I head-butted backwards to try and deter him without lifting my hands but his skull was thicker than mine and with a strong pull he yanked me off Fili.

I brought my elbow around and smashed it into Kili's nose. He recoiled, covering it with a startled bark.

"I'm trying to save him you fucking idiot!" I snarled and returned to my position over Fili's abdomen.

After the correct amount of pumps I tilted Fili's head back and pinched his nose and breathed air into his lungs. I wished I had a BVM, I was having a hard enough time breathing myself and wondered fleetingly if I could provide sufficient oxygen. I repeated the pumping and breathing exercise, coughing in-between to hack up water still trapped in my own lungs.

Suddenly, Fili lurched, coughing and sputtering. I held his head over his side so he wouldn't choke on the inevitable expelling of water and bile. He spewed on the wet grass, retching, and Kili sprang in to steady his brother so Fili would not fall into his own sick.

I stumbled back, letting Kili take over, and started shaking uncontrollably. Try as I might to stay up, I collapsed, curling into a fetal position, gasping for air as tears streamed down my eyes. I was numb with cold yet burning at the same time and the woman's cruel and otherworldly voice echoed tauntingly in my memory. I didn't want to have any part of the voices' owner, but try as I might I continued to run into it like the guy in the journal though I was not purposefully seeking the creature. I wanted out of the forest, I wanted to go home and have a hot shower and eat a greasy hamburger and forget this trip to Middle Earth ever happened.

"Kili?" I heard Fili's rough voice crack and a well of relief washed over me.

I needed to see them both breathing, to be assured that I was not completely alone in this hell hole. I rolled over and caught sight of Fili lifting his hand to his brother's face.

Kili gripped his brother's wrist, relief danced across his eyes. He grinned, breathing out shakily, and lowered his head to connect his forehead with Fili's. "I'm so sorry Fili, I'm sorry. _Birashagimi_. _Birashagimi._"

Fili weakly met Kili's hug, shushing him. "_Abbad_," was all he could say before falling into another coughing fit. "It was not your fault. Don't look at me so," Fili rasped and laid his head back on the grass, closing his eyes warily for a moment.

I did the same, allowing the rain to wash over my face. The numbness was starting to grow stronger and I didn't feel as bad as a few moments ago.

Tentative hands brushed my face and length of my body and I opened my blurry eyes to see Kili leaning over me worriedly. His nose was leaking blood. "A-are you alright? Are you in pain? Do you need anything?"

"I'll live," I slurred and doubted my own words, knowing I was on the verge of developing hypothermia. Fili was probably in similar danger. "Cover him up with anything dry," I struggled to say. "Warm him up. Hyp-therm-a."

Kili looked sharply around our surroundings, features etched with worry, searching for something. "Only your pony is left and there's nothing to warm anyone up with. We need to get to Thorin, Uncle will know what to do."

I forced myself to a sitting position and only Kili's supportive grip kept me from falling back over. Looking about, I saw Fili staring at us while lying flat. Our eyes locked and he looked as tired as I felt. I tore my gaze away to look back at my pony.

"Do you think you can remember where we are?" I asked Kili seriously.

He instantly balked. "I'm not leaving either of you alone. Who knows what might happen if you're left defenseless. I'm staying right here."

He had a point so I explored another option. "How long do you think before a search party comes?" It was a stretch but I doubted the dwarves would abandon their own.

"I don't know. An hour maybe." Tears brimmed Kili's eyes and I couldn't blame him, he nearly lost his brother and still might.

An hour would be too long when added to the amount of time searching, but I didn't see any other choice.

"Then we'll walk," Fili cut in and Kili whipped around, scrambling to help his brother who was trying to sit up.

I leaned heavily on my elbows.

"Are you sure you can stand?" Kili's question was met by Fili's struggle to do just that.

Fili scraped the ground with his boots and pushed off with his hands. Half way up he grasped Kili for support and managed to find his footing.

"Of course I can," Fili said. "I can walk too. I'll have you know I have two perfectly good legs."

"It's not your legs I worry about. Your hair, you are bled." Kili reached up and lightly touched Fili's head and drew back at his brother's flinch to reveal black spots on his fingers.

"Come off it, It's not the first time I've been bludgeoned." Fili said tersely.

Kili looked ready to shake him. "You nearly drowned! I have a right to ask!"

Fili smiled roguishly. "We have been in worse spots with throat-cutters baying for our blood."

"Yet not like this," Kili said with dismay. "I've never had to watch you stop breathing. I didn't know what to do, I was no better than a gapping hobgoblin. If Meg hadn't jumped in I don't know what I would have done."

Kili shook with fresh tears and Fili reached out with a tender shine in his eyes. He pulled Kili into a hug Kili buried his head in his brother's shoulder and Fili soothingly rubbed his brother's back and I felt suddenly out of place. I wasn't meant to see such open emotion, especially not from the usually cheeky brothers.

Air brushed past side and I became acutely aware of Kili bending down while Fili remained standing. He braced a hand on Kili's back, looking off to the side in disinterest, not really seeing. He was avoiding looking at me, I realized, and the rejection hurt more than my aching lungs.

"Can you stand M'lady?" Kili asked softly, already back in control of himself.

The word Lady snapped me to reality like a slap to the face. "Don't call me Lady," I replied automatically and peered up, wondering why Kili, the only person to willingly call me by my name, suddenly dropped it for an anonymous title. I fidgeted with a blade of grass sticking between the fingers digging into the ground.

"Right, Meg, of course." Kili offered a small smile and his hand which I took. He hefted me to my feet and the second my knees locked I nearly collapsed my legs were shaking so much.

Fili reflexively reached out and helped Kili steady me but he quickly let go and looked away sharply, his lips drawn into a thin line.

I scrutinized Fili's profile, his tight jaw, the grit peppering his face, and red scratches oozing about his cheeks and nose. Something was wrong but I couldn't put my finger on it. He didn't look pained but something had shaken him enough that he had withdrawn into himself.

"Maybe this won't work." Kili said uncertainly, his voice peeled off the blinders I had momentarily erected.

"It will," I assured him. "Let's just get out of here." I needed to get moving or I would likely blackout and never wake up again.

* * *

><p>Walking was near impossible. I trekked alongside my mare, my cloak and jacket slung over its back, leaning on it for support while Kili had Fili's arm slung over his shoulders. There had been a short fight about who would ride the pony. I insisted Fili and Kili take it and ride ahead but Fili venomously refused to be carried. His manly pride might get him killed and I nearly throttled him for his stubborn refusal, but I wasn't his conscious so I let it go.<p>

The pony was uncannily patient and I had to give it credit for not running off when it was cut loose. Maybe it was time to give it a name though I had refused thus far in fear of becoming attached. It wasn't my pony anyway and probably had a name I was never told about.

The further we went the more Fili sagged into Kili and the more I wanted to find a good place to pass out from sheer exhaustion. Strangely, Kili was our motivational force, providing encouraging words while trying his damndest to take us to camp, focusing on his breathing and putting one foot in front of the other. Fili would respond to his brother's worries with forced jokes but would fall silent immediately after.

I don't know when it happened since everything was such a fog, but hollers and a rumbling of hooves set Kili on edge. Dwarves mounted on war ponies rushed us in a stampede and never had I been happier to see Thorin, Gloin, or Dwalin in my life. They surrounded us and vaulted from their mounts.

Thorin sprang forward and grasped Kili and Fili wherever he could reach, searching their faces with intense, wide eyes. His usually self-possessed mask was discarded and he openly displayed panic and fear.

"Kili, your pony came back with no rider. What happened, why are you limping?" Thorin's demands were closer to pleas.

Fili sagged, startling Thorin who gripped his nephew tighter, afraid he would fall though Kili wasn't letting Fili go anywhere.

"My pony took a tumble into the river," Fili said drily.

Thorin's breath hitched.

Kili's rough voice came out in a rush, "He would be in the Great Halls if Meg had not risked the waters. She saved him, Uncle."

Nerves twisted my sore stomach and I sniffled against the cold. "I need a hot shower," I grumped with outward indifference.

Thorin narrowed his eyes alight with dangerous, cold-fire. "Tell me everything and be swift."

I glanced at Fili hanging under Kili's arm and met his tired but alert eyes, and said, "He fell in the river so I dragged him out." It was a miracle I hadn't drowned with him and I wasn't entirely sure how my split second plan managed to work.

Fili bowed his head at me, taking Thorin aback. "I am in your debt," he said heavily and as though it pained him to say as much. "I neglected to say as much before, but I mean it no less."

My stomach made a small flip and I was too stunned to do more than gape.

"Are you certain her intentions were honorable?" Thorin leered at Kili. "You saw what happened?"

Laughter threatened to bubble out of my chest. Only people from the Dark Age where chivalry and knights in shining armor still existed ever talked about honor. It was a stupid word lacking emotions like a child honoring their promise to not eat a cookie so they could eat the cake later.

Thorin questioning my so called 'honor' had Kili's brow screwing up with offense. "Fili would not breathe, he swallowed too much water but Meg revived him when he could not wake on his own. I saw it with my own eyes, you must believe me."

Thorin lost his mettle and touched Fili's face with fright, confirming for himself that his nephew was still whole.

Fili simply let him, harboring an indecipherable countenance. "There are no lies." Fili paused, forcing out the next few words through a gulp that made his Adam's apple bob. "I shame you uncle. I knew the bridge was not safe yet I tried to cross it anyway and fell in, paying for it with a pony and almost another's life."

I couldn't believe he was apologizing for the stupid animal and I was far from dead, though I felt half way there. He should have been more concerned about being a stubborn idiot who aggravated his problem by not getting on the pony.

I should have listened to my gut the moment I uttered, _'That looks safe,'_ and kept him from going, forcing the brothers to turn around while waiving a mission accomplished flag. We could have gone to Thorin and brainstormed with the rest of the group to find a safer way across, one that wasn't obviously going to end in disaster.

"No-" was all I managed to argue before Dwalin cut me off.

"Beasts are disposable," Dwalin said. "They were elf property anyway." He cracked a lopsided smile no one else shared.

Fili glanced at him but said nothing.

Satisfied Fili and Kili were breathing, Thorin's turned to me. His irises were suddenly warmer, those of a parent's filled with relief for the briefest of moments, and then they hardened dangerously.

"You," he said darkly and with such force that I recoiled as he took a threatening step forward, "were a burden. A useless thing that a lesser man would carve the tongue out of."

"Thorin, don't!" Kili moved to intervene but Fili weighed him down and Kili refused to put his brother down.

Thorin took no notice and kept advancing with heavy footsteps. I backed away and realized in about two seconds I might have to bolt or I would find a sword in my stomach though he had yet to draw the elven blade dangling at his side.

Thorin continued his speech, never once halting. "A creature that showed no respect or self-restraint. I once thought you lecherous, out for nothing but yours and your own as the race of men are ought to do."

Fresh adrenaline pumped to my limbs and I stumbled back as Thorin surged forward. I tried to spin away but he was too close. He snagged my shoulders in a vice grip, holding me out in front of him. Maybe if I twisted just right I could duck under his hold or hit him under his nose with my palm.

"Long has it been since one from another race has risked so much for dwarves." Thorin's eyes and voice turned uncannily soft and I felt the world tilt on its axis and blood rush to my ears.

"I was wrong. Unjustly wrong. You have proven your loyalty, your honor, and have gone above and beyond what I have deemed of you." Thorin inclined his head ever so slightly. "The line of Durin owes you a great debt. I owe you a debt beyond the measure of a mountain."

Line? Oh, right. Fili and Kili were princes, I kind of forgot. Shit. The brothers never acted like snobbish noblemen or demanded to be treated differently. If I had to hazard a guess I would say they grew up normally without kingly privileges. They were just so…normal, in a Middle Earth kind of way, that it was easy to blow off. Only Thorin ever acted like he owned some sort of title. Not that it mattered. He could have been the king of England and I would have treated him the same. I would avoiding calling anyone lord and never bow, hell forbid I ever curtsy like some prissy Victorian chick.

I puffed a breath of air, trying to break from the deer-in-the-headlights imitation I had adopted. "No it doesn't." I said stiffly and looked at Thorin and Fili pointedly. "No you don't. There are no debts. What kind of person would stand by and watch someone else drown?" I had simply reacted, not thought on the why, only the how.

Thorin's blue eyes never wavered and his smile only grew, and never before had I seen the great Brooding Thorin Oakenshield _smile_. For a moment I wondered if I had fallen into an alternate reality, it wouldn't be so strange after my unexpected transportation from earth.

"Preposterous. You saved a son of Durin, we are all indebted to you for aiding our kin, our king." Gloin stepped forward proudly and I fidgeted against Thorin's strong hold, uncomfortable with the sudden talk of debts and kings.

"Can we just get back to camp and call it even?" I suggested through a ragged breath.

"Aye, it's a good start. Let's get the lads and lass to my brother before they fall where they stand," Gloin agreed.

Thorin gave my shoulders a hearty shake and a pat on the back before letting go. He went back to a stunned Fili and Kili and made arrangements to accommodate for missing ponies.

I looked back at the river with sinking dread and slipped my hand into my pocket to grasp Glorfindel's necklace.

* * *

><p><em>I almost died,<em>

_I snuck out of Rivendell today and almost died, isn't that funny? I went back to the cave by the river and asked the girl to tell me why the elves thought I should stay away from her. Would you believe she laughed and called me a 'dimwitted piece of human flesh'? Who says that? Anyway, I felt something push me into the river though I _knew_ there was nothing behind me. I felt fingers close around my neck and arms like snakes pull me to the riverbed though I still couldn't see a thing. If Glorfindel hadn't decided to follow me after I left and hadn't happened to see me fall into the river, I wouldn't be writing this now. I got yelled at but learned one important thing, that girl is a fae. _


	11. Chapter 11

**Special mentions of reviewers: filimeala, Vanafindiel, Vaughn Tyler, Padme4000, MakaylaDevine**

* * *

><p>Camp was a whirlwind of questions and bustling bodies upon our arrival. Oin tended to Fili and I's scrapes while Thorin stood stiffly nearby, sword drawn and blade digging into the earth while he caressed the hilt. Kili recounted the events of the river to the anxious dwarves and I wished Thorin would reprimand his enthusiasm and obvious exaggeration. Apparently I had simultaneously been rolled over by a log and struck by lightning. Though by all scientific reasoning I should be dead after being electrocuted in a river, I somehow managed to power through and save Fili.<p>

Fili was quiet, near sulking as he sat hunched over with an arm slung over his knee and his other leg stretched out. His tunic and coat had been exchanged with borrowed ones and a blanket was draped over his back. When he changed I'd heard the distinct sound of rattling chains and in his pile of damp clothes was a chainmail shirt. No wonder CPR had been so hard to perform, it explained why he had been so damned heavy.

For myself, I'd borrowed one of Kili's shirts and a pair of his pants since he was the closest to my height and stature. His clothes were a little short but their girth threatened to swallow me. I used a belt to tighten the shirt so I wasn't wearing a tint. The material was a little scratchy, but dry, and had symbols on it its cuffs I recognized from the carving on Kili's bow.

Oin clicked his tongue when he discovered I wore no guards, mail shirts, or any form of armor. I never considered armor, the thought never crossed my mind, but now that I thought back on the orc attack it was stupid in hindsight. For Oin, I couldn't do more than shrug and say, "Most people don't need armor where I come from."

I was soon wrapped up like a burrito in my blanket while Oin put his supplies away. There had been no serious injuries besides Fili's crack to the head and it didn't appear he had a concussion, just a poorly concealed headache.

"Here's a bit of herbal tea for you, Fili, and you, Miss." Dori crouched and handed Fili and I steaming mugs that smelled like cooked broccoli swirled thickly. "It's a concoction my brother and I discovered a few years back. It'll warm you up in no time and boost your strength."

I thanked him and blew on the steaming mug, happy for the seeping warmth even if the pungent smell made it better suited for fertilizer.

"Tea? Tea?! If you can boil water for trivial poison then why don't you cook us a real supper!" Gloin grumbled.

Dori huffed. "Because, Master Gloin, Gandalf only had a few spare bits of dry wood. It was only enough to boil a little water so I apologize but you will have to do with bread like the rest of us." He looked down at Fili who watched the bristling dwarves with disinterest. "It may not taste like chamomile, but it will help."

Fili managed a smile. "Not at all, though I hate to fall ill so I suppose the reward outweighs the risks."

Dori turned an angry red and brusquely walked to where I was sitting a few feet away. "You have yet to take a sip young lass. Hurry before it gets cold."

I bobbed my head and the second his back was turned I stuck my tongue out in disgust at his concoction.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Fili lean back and return to his stone impression. He gaze was forward, feigning interest in what was going on around him, contemplative and maybe a little angry when his eyes flickered to Kili now and again.

I wanted to ask why he refused to look at me but me but my attention was drawn to Thorin when he stood and began to pace like a restless sentry. I couldn't figure out the broody dwarf. One minute he wished I would be crushed under some troll's heel, and the next he was sending warm and fuzzy vibes and _smiling_. Sometimes the guy made less sense than the wizard.

"How are we going to cross the river tomorrow?" I asked when Thorin walked by.

He halted and swiveled, his eyes flickered up and down briefly before saying, "We will have to find a different route." It was code for 'I don't know and don't want to admit it'.

"There must be another bridge," Fili suggested hopefully.

Thorin looked between us and put a hand on his sword hilt hanging from his waist. "It's unlikely."

Elaboration was apparently not his strong suit.

"We could cut down trees, tie them together, and anchor them," I suggested.

Thorin looked at the spindly trees around us and caught onto an obvious problem the same instant I did. "The trunks of these trees would never support our weight let alone ladened ponies," he said.

"Right. That's about as likely to work as engineering a Boeing 757 from twigs," I said nervously

"What is a Boeing…?" Thorin asked uncertainly.

I pulled my blanket closer around my shoulders and wondered if I was really about to introduce a broody dwarf to the concept of flight. I guess I was. "It's a plane, a machine that uses turbines and wings to transport people and supplies through the air."

Thorin noarrowed his eyes. "I am in no mood for your tales."

I shook my head. "Do you know how birds fly?"

"They flap their wings," Fili said, finally looking at me.

I couldn't help but smirk when I picked up a stick and poked a bare bit of not quite dirt, not quite muddy patch. "I'll show you how aerodynamics works."

I drew a crude crosscut of a wing.

"Is this a spell?" Thorin asked sternly.

"No, it's a diagram. This is a wing." I drew a line over the top of the wing, following the curve. "And this is the flow of air over a wing when it is moving through the sky."

Thorin could only stand my crash course on flight for so long before growing impatient. He chalked it up to 'madness' and left with, "You have no need to concern yourselves. It will be done," in relation to the bridge problem.

I would have dropped my dumb rambling but Ori was leaning over my shoulder with a spiel of questions and I think Fili was partially listening. When I finished explaining Ori ran off to make sketches of what he learned.

The distraction was nice but it left my head was buzzing and my eyes burning with fatigue. I peaked over to Fili just as Kili plunked down beside him, cutting off my view of the blond sibling. I sank into my blanket up to my nose, mug in hand to act as a personal space heater. I shifted so I was leaning sideways against a tree and curled up to it with a small, frustrated whine muffled by the blanket as I closed my eyes.

* * *

><p>The next morning I settled on my mare and stroked its mane down to the flower tangled in its mane. It was a gift from Bifur. For some reason he had taken leaving flowers on my possessions or simply giving them to me. I couldn't figure out if it was a weird crush or an intricacy of his.<p>

No one was in a particular hurry to pack up and get moving moving besides Thorin. He stood next to his mount at the edge of the company, surveying the progress with the stern eye of a senior manager while simultaneously scanning the trees. Among the dwarves I couldn't help but notice Fili crouched on the ground, rummaging through a pack he'd been given since losing nearly all of his possessions when his pony was swept away.

"Need a lift?" I asked him.

Fili squinted against the rising sun to make out my outline then looked back down to tighten the straps on his pack. "I shall be riding with my brother," he said dismissively.

I leaned over to try and see his face and snapped back when he stood abruptly and slung his pack over his shoulder, turning his back to me.

He took two steps before I said, "I don't know what I did to make you mad, but I'm sorry."

Fili halted and turned sideways to look back at me. "What would make you think as such?" He appeared truly confused but I had a hard time believing he didn't have a clue about the way he was acting.

"Hurry up Fili or we're going to leave you behind!" Kili shouted.

Fili took a step toward Kili but turned back briefly to say, "I'm not angry at you M'lady."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't call me lady."

Fili went up to his brother sitting astride his pony and flung his pack onto the back of the mount. Kili smacked it away and smiled at the perplexed twist in Fili's face.

"What are you thinking brother? You're not riding with me," Kili said smugly.

"Why ever not?"

"I'm afraid this poor old steed doesn't have the vigor to carry two sturdy dwarves. It would surely collapse from the strain. You'll to find someone else to ride with it would seem." Kili spurred his pony and the beast took off.

"Kili!" Fili shouted angrily then looked sharply at me.

The reins dangled loosely on my thumb as I held up my hands. "I didn't say anything to him, but my offer still stands."

What _was_ Kili trying to do?

Fili shook his head and walked to the shoulder of my pony and took hold of the reins and placed his hand near the front of the saddle. "Shove over."

"Excuse me?" I balked. "I can drive perfectly fine." Partially, anyway. The animal didn't really listen to my commands to begin with, it merely followed the other ponies.

I scooted forward and patted the back of the saddle. "You can sit here."

"Don't be daft. Move over."

"Why are you-" A light bulb flickered on and I instantly understood why he was being so grouchy. It seemed men were the same everywhere.

"It's not going to kill you if you're not the one with the reigns, just get on and quit making a big deal out of it."

"Then I will find someone else," he said tersely.

I grabbed the back of his coat when he tried to leave. He rotated free looked back at me hotly. "Unhand me. I may owe you a debt but I am not your lesser."

I wanted to strangle this idiot. "This is _my_ pony and I'm offering you a seat. You won't suddenly burst into flames and your macho scale won't go down." Quickly, I added, "And I'm not treating you like a degenerate."

"You have quite a loose tongue for a woman."

Where did _that _come from? It sounded like such a desperate, low blow that I couldn't feel more than exasperation.

"Yeah," I said forcefully and with a sharp nod, clearly conveying a '_duh!' _with my tone.

"Bofur!" Fili called. "Do you have a spare saddle?"

Bofur rode by. "Sorry lad, my pony can't take the extra load."

Fili watched Bofur's pony canter away then he turned to Bifur. The old dwarf grunted in his ancient language and didn't stop.

"Best you take the lass up on the offer or ye be walking," Gloin said as he passed.

It was odd and kind of funny to watch Fili grow flustered with his blond mane flying about as he turned in circles as the dwarves seemed to unanimously agree that he wouldn't get to ride with anyone else. I was curious about their motivation but was too amused to raise questions.

When there was no one left and Thorin was yelling at us to move, Fili walked back over to me, looking angrier than I'd ever seen him. "I won't forget this."

"I swear I have nothing to do with it." I may have discredited myself when a smirk crept up my lips.

I wiggled further up the saddle, making it obvious I wasn't going to relinquish my spot. With a huff he hoisted onto the back of the saddle and tentatively looped a loose arm around my waist for balance. He brushed against the sore spot from the rope and he must have sensed my flinch because he immediately raised his arm to my stomach area.

* * *

><p>"Mahal, will you stop fidgeting?"<p>

My leg stilled from shifting for the umpteenth time in the uncomfortable saddle and I froze in the seat. "I can't help it."

"Start to help it. You're driving me mad with that squirming of yours."

"Sorry," I amended. It was the first time I had been reprimanded for my fidgeting since I was young enough to run to my parents' bed after a nightmare.

"Ah, here we are," Gandalf announced at the front of the column. "It's right where I remembered it. You see, perfectly safe."

Thorin gave the new bridge a critical eye. It was a couple miles from the one Fili tried to cross and this one looked sturdier. It was built higher up so even though the river was overflowing, the wooden boards were not sinking.

Thorin nodded his approval and looked back at the rest of us. "Go slow," he said to the company and spurred his pony behind Gandalf's horse.

When my mare stepped onto the bridge, my chest pounded. The waters ran as quickly as before, only now I knew what was lurking beneath them. The fae was not as easy to avoid as I had hoped. If it could reach further down the river than what was right in front of its cave like I had first assumed, then those invisible tentacles could potentially shoot out of the water right now and drag me or my entire pony into the currents. Stiffly, without thinking, I clutched Fili's forearm.

When he tightened his hold I nearly jumped out of my skin when my muscles remembered the way the fae had grabbed me around the middle.

"I doubt we'll be taking another slip. Relax, you'll make the pony nervous if you don't," Fili said just low enough for only me to hear. He must have meant to sound soothing but the octave his voice dropped to send a shiver down my spine.

"Maybe its Thorin's probable reaction to me falling in again that makes me nervous," I said with a small chuckle.

I could almost hear the frown in Fili's reply. "He will not hurt you."

"I don't know about that. He gets pretty crazy when he snaps out of brooding mode," I said lightly.

"My uncle can be…"

"Intense?" I offered.

"Emotionally thick," Fili corrected and I wanted to ask the difference. "He scared you yesterday."

I snorted. "He doesn't scare me."

My pony crossed the bridge, finally landing its hooves on solid ground. With a sigh of relief I looked back at the river, happy to see it behind us.

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><p>Gandalf ordered the ponies turned loose as soon as our upward climb became dangerously steep and rocky. He claimed the route we were taking would be no place for ponies and that we should carry all we could. Thorin must not have gotten the memo beforehand because he nearly tore Gandalf's face off for not mentioning this little detail sooner. I had to agree. It was a lofty demand.<p>

At first I wanted to go without ponies and I still preferred walking, but the mare had grown on me. Still, I stripped my few belongings and patted the pony's' neck before setting her free with the rest.

The grey skies started to turn black and thunder rumbled in the distance. The first fat drops of rain caused a chain reaction of groans and grumbles from annoyed dwarves and I wondered if a low pressure cell had decided to sit its happy ass right over our heads just for shits and giggles.

Soon, I couldn't see a thing further than ten feet in any direction. A heavy curtain of rain conveniently pelted the slanting mountain side when the path narrowed dangerously to a three foot wide ledge over a drop that, through much squinting, I saw ran into a ravine. I wasn't normally afraid of heights, but even an adrenaline junkie would be a little daunted walking single file down a snaking path with no safety restraints or rails between them and certain death.

Ori clung to my cloak and backpack and I walked close enough to Fili that I could reach out and grab him if I suddenly felt insecure about my footing.

A yell of warning went out by one of the dwarves and from the curtain of rain a boulder the size of a semi-truck came flying through the air. It smashed into the side of the mountain, causing it to tremble, and rock rained down on our heads. We ducked, pressing our bodies as close to the wall, shielded our heads with hands and weapons.

"Stone Giants!" Dwalin cried.

I choked at seeing a humanoid shape break away from the far mountain. It was made entirely of rock and had no face despite a bulbous shape sitting on its stony shoulders. It tugged at the mountain and tore off a piece of it as big as a horse and hurled it like a baseball player on slow motion capture to something in the distance. My eyes trailed the boulder's path until it struck another stone giant. There were a dozen of them rising out of the mountains.

"Stay to the wall! Move quickly!" I was surprised I could hear Thorin over the crashing of thunder and the scratchy rumbling of stone grinding against stone.

We didn't get very far when the ground between Fili and Kili fractured with a loud _crack_ and pulled apart. Fili lurched forward, calling frantically for Kili to take his hand. The tips of their fingers were a hair's breath away when the half Fili and I were on jerked backward, pulling us away from more than half of the company.

Fili rocked forward, teetering precariously over a drop leading down into the valley. I grabbed the straps of his clothes and whatever else I could get a hold of and yanked him back. Ori grabbed me reflexively and the dwarves behind him did the same, ensuring no one fell from the initial jolt.

The mountain side we stood on moved out of sight of the others like a slow motion horror movie. A violent shudder shot my nerves straight to my stomach and I surged forward and hugged Fili's bicep, clinging to him with a death grip. My pupils swallowed the brown of my eyes and my breaths come in short gasps with my chest heaving and legs shaking. We were on the knee of a stone giant standing to join the fray.

Our giant had barely righted itself when a stone giant hurled a rock at its head, sending it reeling. Nausea gripped my insides when the ground pitched toward the stormy ravine. I cried out when my feet started to slide and Fili pulled me back to the wall with bruising force. Frantically, his free hand clutched and slipped at the wet wall we both had our backs against.

"Hold on tight!" Fili roared with surprising command to the remaining company, his voice void of fear gripped warbling.

Ori detached from my cloak to hook his arms around my waist, his body shook against mine as the mountain righted itself and spun around in languid motion, rotating 180 degrees. The world became a blur of grays, blacks, and dark green. I grabbed Ori's arm and readjusted my grip on Fili's.

The dwarves safe on the real side of the mountain came into view as a streak of tan and the stone as giant's knee moved just slowly enough that I could sear their twisted faces of helplessness and abject horror forever into my mind.

They slid from view, replaced with jagged rocks and a dip in the mountain side. It was then the giant pitched backward and its knee bent forward, rushing us forward to kiss the mountain. Ori and Fili's hold tightened and my knuckles bleached white.

Normally, people professed your life passed before your eyes or you would pray or regret when the end was near. I only saw the companies' faces from milliseconds before: Kili, Gloin, Oin, Thorin, Gandalf – all of them watching what they knew would be our last moments.

Time was up and the knee connected with the mountain, throwing us forward. I hit the mountainside with a loud smack and bodies piling painfully on top of my back, pushing the air from my lungs. I shot up into a sitting position, stunned and shaking. Tears started to roll down my eyes when I realized we were still alive and my throat clutched on the next breath of air that I thought I would never get to take.

I hadn't realized I was trying to cut off the blood supply to Fili's arm until he gently pried my hands away with shaky words of encouragement. "It's alright, we're safe. We're alive."

Immediately, I let go with a rushed, "Sorry, sorry," that was nearly cut off by Thorin's agonized scream.

"No! Fili!" The dwarf prince came stumbling around the bend in the path, his eyes went wide when he took in the pile of stunned, rolling, and very alive dwarves. He slumped against the rocks with washed relief.

"Where's Bilbo?!" Bofur panicked.

A small voice carried over the howling wind. "Help!"

Throin schooled himself and pivoted back around. He disappeared over the side of the mountain and I nearly had a heart attack until Bilbo took his place, pulled up by every available hand. Fili shot to his feet when Bilbo scrambled into Bofur's hold and not a second later Thorin was pulled back into view. The dwarves slammed against the mountain side, breathing heavily.

"Fili!" Kili grabbed his brother and shook a wheezing laugh from Fili. Kili leaned forward and smacked his brother's back in a tight, one-arm hug. They broke apart, smiling stupidly at each other before stepping back, each with an arm linked over the other's shoulders.

A hand reached down and pulled me up and I was crushed in a hug by Kili's free arm. The limited width of the path only made his gesture possible by pulling me between him and Fili.

"I knew we would make it, of course we would make it," Kili rejoiced.

I smiled, feeling a margin relief after hearing the words said aloud. "Turns out it's harder to die than I thought."

Kili laughed and Fili's waterlogged mustache twitched upward.

"Fili! Kili! Look ahead for shelter!" Thorin shouted.

Fili and Kili detached themselves.

"Fall off and I'll kill you," I said to them.

Fili gave me a wink and Kili patted my shoulder before they disappeared down the path.

"Thorin, what madness compelled you to come this way?" Balin asked.

Thorin's eyes flared and he turned to Gandalf and pointed angrily at the wizard. "You claimed this was the only way! You said Goblins would be on our heads if we took the normal path yet this is suicide!"

"It was the only way," Gandalf said resolutely.

Thorin's finger shook. "In the morning we turn back. This is madness!"

I could barely see Gandalf's expression under the water falling from the brim of his hat when he said, "There is not enough time for backtracking if you wish to make it to the Lonely Mountain before Durin's Day."

"Next time I will not be so quick to seek your counsel," Thorin sneered.

Thunder rumbled in the sky and small rocks on the mountain face broke loose from the torrent of rain.

"Curse this bloody weather! Can we save for the bickering until after we've found shelter?" Dori said and grumbles of agreement rose.

"I won't forget this," Dwalin snarled at Gandalf.

Fili and Kili came back at an opportune time. "We found a cave and it's clear!" Kili said excitedly.

"Follow us!" Fili said and grabbed my arm to lightly push me toward Kili while the dwarves lined up.

Thorin shoved at the company, ordering everyone to move. Kili walked at my front while Fili's arm went around me to grip Kili's back. I was confused by the sudden cage but didn't protest the closeness. It was amazing how a near death experience, and still precarious situation, could cause someone who tended to hate excessive physical contact to suddenly crave and relish it.

The cave was gloriously dry and deep enough to house thirteen dwarves, a hobbit, a wizard, and a human. Thorin was the last to enter and roughly herded Fili and Kili to the back of the cave with me jostled between them.

"Stay here," Thorin ordered and turned away to bark at Gloin who had thrown down a pile of wood from the salvaged packs. "No fire, not here. Bombur, pass out rations. Bofur, take the first watch." He took a deep breath. "Get your rest, we leave in the morn after the storm clears." Thorin began to pace where he could in the cramped confines.

Fili and Kili sat in tandem, breathing sighs of relief from being surrounded by sturdy walls with a leak proof roof. I refused to sit because once I did I knew I wouldn't be getting up for the rest of the night. Instead, I offered to bring the brothers food to which they smiled gratefully. I waited at the edge of the other dwarves piling around Bombur pulling rations out of his sack.

The moment of safety jumpstarted my brain and I looked out the cave entrance, realizing just how close I had come to death and the absurdity of the stone giants. I couldn't wrap my head around the titans being real. I wasn't surprised to see such things, especially not here. But they were like monsters from a movie, something created by CGI effects, safe and far away from physical reality. It could be seen and heard but not touched. Perhaps it was not the stone giants that felt misplaced, it was me who did not belong. This world was not mine. There were no dwarves, elves, orcs, or stone giants. Those were things for fairy tales and big screens.

"Do you intend to bungle your dinner standing there until you catch a cold sickness?" Nori, who was passing out lembas, waved a ration in my face.

I took the offending piece of bread and Dori pounced on Nori, yanking the younger dwarf's head down by his ear. "That is no way to treat a lady. Especially not after the harrowing day we all experienced. Some courtesy would do your foul mouth well."

Nori yowled and found it impossible to wrench free. "I see no dwarf women around here and if there were I would be inclined to act the same to have food in my belly sooner." Dori pinched Nori's ear and twisted, eliciting a snarl from Nori. "You can't deny what I say!"

"I need two lembas more for Fili and Kili," I said with force.

Dori released Nori and the two glared at each other. Nori moved slowly, obeying the demanding glare of his brother with reluctance. He pulled two more slices from the sack and shoved them into my hands.

"Take it," Nori snapped.

My voice was surprisingly easy to find. "If it's all the same to you I would rather not be treated special."

Nori lowered his voice dangerously. "Count on it, human _abzaginh_."

Dori cuffed him, yelling in outrage. I had no idea what he just said but I stepped up to his face, a small part of me relishing in the fact I was a tiny bit taller. "Not being treated special does not give you an excuse to be an ass."

"A donkey?" Nori spluttered as if not entirely sure if he should feel insulted or not.

"Who said anything about a donkey?" I retorted with a smirk.

A light bulb flipped on in his head, likely to the other literal meaning or to anger for not understanding my earthling insult that I thought for sure would translate nicely here. I could have elaborated or called him more names but Dori tugged him away, shouting in his ear.

I stalked past the entrance of the cave, bypassing Thorin who stopped momentarily to watch me go, and Gandalf straightened against the wall.

"Mistress Megara, a word if you will?" Gandalf called.

I stepped a little closer and waited, wondering what he could possibly want this time.

"I have spoken with Bilbo but I have yet to ask how you are faring after our frightful encounter," he said.

My brow raised at the chaste description of what had nearly been mine and several other's deaths. "Not dead," I grunted, my eyes fell down cast at remembering how helpless and useless I had been, and I leaned a little closer, lowering my voice so the others couldn't hear.

My heel bounced and my eyes darted about the walls. "Gandalf, I don't belong here. How am I supposed to do anything to giant stone golem things and orcs? Next time might involve a fight and I don't know if I can do it." The moment the words spilled from my mouth my chest tightened when I acutely remembered the trip to Goblin Town. The trip that was supposed to happen right after the Thunder Battle, meaning tonight. I wasn't sure if I should say anything. Going back out would be suicide and I knew the dwarves survived the caves. _I think I'm going to be sick._

Gandalf's equally low voice was absent of doubt. "Nonsense. You are precisely where you are needed. Your being here has not been all for naught." He smiled, crinkling his eyes. "The young Durin's boys have taken quite a liking to you."

My face grew instantly hot and I turned to the side to see the brothers from the corner of my eye, weary of where Gandalf was going with the conversation.

Gandalf continued, "Dwarves do not take friendship lightly, you should feel honored to have the trust of such steadfast folk."

It was true I got along better with Fili and Kili than anyone else. I chalked it up to them being the youngest and least cranky duo of the group. They were more relatable and not as eager to bite off my head. "I suppose they are friendly, but I don't know if they call me a friend."

"What was it you pulled out of your pack last night? If I recall, Fili and Kili presented you with something quite out of the ordinary." Gandalf pointed covertly to where my bag was sitting between the dwarf princes who were bent over, talking in hushed tones to each other.

Gandalf was nosier than I thought if he noticed something so small. How he came to the conclusion I got it from them, I would never know. "Some jewelry and coins from the trolls. They won't take it back and I don't know what to do with it."

Humor danced in Gandalf's eyes and his grin stretched. "Gold and jewels are precious to dwarves, more so than anything on this earth, except one."

I shook my head, answering slowly, "So, they like shiny things?"

Gandalf scoffed disapprovingly and the look he gave meant he thought I was playing dumb.

I elaborated, not really believing it myself, "They value me kind of highly?"

"The only thing dwarves value above gold is kin, and that is a very precious thing to have. Simply continue as you are and keep watch over Fili and Kili, do not squander their friendship. Strengthen and cherish this gift."

"Wait, so by giving me gold it was the same as saying they wanted me to be their friend? Am I supposed to give them something too?" I had tried to give back the gold, what if they saw it as a rejection of their friendship, would they hate me for my ignorance?

"It would be customary but you are a human. They may not expect you to return the favor in the same fashion."

Anxiously, I asked, "But they would expect something?"

"That you would not keep them waiting longer for their dinner."

I looked at the bread in my hands. "Right."

I returned to the brothers and handed over their their share and sat heavily in the open space next to Fili. The impact caused a shooting pain at my waist and I crumpled inward, cringing. Fili and Kili flinched away as if burned.

"You're injured?" Kili's eyes were wide.

"Nothing's bleeding or broken," I promised while collecting myself. There was residual dull ache but it wasn't the worst pain I had ever felt, I just hadn't expected it.

"I'll get Oin." Fili started to get up but I put a hand out to stop him.

"It's probably just a bruise from the river thing last night," I said.

"Bruises don't normally cause one to collapse," Fili borderline snapped.

"I didn't collapse, I sat," I said. "Look." I pulled up the bottom of my shirt and resisted making a sound of disgust. I had been feeling discomfort along my waistline all day but it had taken that long for a nasty purple, yellow, and black band of bruising to form.

"Oh, no, Meg," Fili said regretfully. "Why didn't you say something?"

I let my shirt fall back down. "The bruising wasn't there earlier. It's fine. It'll go away in a week or two and it really doesn't bother me that much," I said.

"You should still have it tended. Oin will to have a salve to help it heal," Kili said.

I crinkled my nose. "And smell like a dead fish? No thanks." The salves Oin tried to put on my tiny cuts last night smelled like corpses and I was foul smelling enough from travel.

I pulled my pack into my lap and inhaled the lembas bread. The dwarves were starting to lay down, none dared to lite a pipe or bother staying up to chat. I threw my sopping wet cloak over a jutting rock while Fili and Kili laid down and I sat curled as far up the wall as I could. I had no idea when the floor would crack open and spill us into the depths. The movie made it seem like it happened not an hour after settling in the cave.

"You should lie down and rest."

I snapped to attention, nearly jumping out of my skin when Fili spoke though his voice was quiet.

"Can't sleep," I replied with thick frustration. Since leaving Rivendell I probably hadn't slept more than four hours at a time before waking up fitfully, if I fell asleep at all.

"Mhph, go to sleep," Kili muttered. "Tired…"

"I can't," I said harsher than necessary and felt prickling tears.

Fili sobered. "Don't be like that. Come here." He motioned me to the spot near him. Reluctantly, and after a moment of debate, I grabbed my bedroll and flung it out beside him.

If I was going to be attacked by goblins I might as well get sleep where I could, if it would come at all. I laid down on my side with my back to Fili and curled around my pack and tangled my arms in my bow and quiver in hopes of keeping a good hand on them when the floor caved.

Scuffling, lack of snores, and the sound of rain left the atmosphere tense. I scooted until my back touched Fili's arm as he laid on his back, hopping it would help, and I relished the warmth radiating from him.

"How's your head?" I whispered.

"M'head?" He asked drowsily. "No better or worse."

I scrunched up tighter, turning into a ball. Sleep was going to be impossible. My nerves were fried and it was uncomfortably cold without my cloak, not to mention a rocky floor wasn't an ideal mattress.

I felt Fili shift then he asked quietly, "Do you trust me?"

Now I was fully awake. With trepidation I said, "Yes…"

A thick arm flung over my side and I stiffened.

"For warmth is all, I promise," Fili said quietly. His breath brushed the top of my head and I couldn't help think it was the strangest sensation in the world.

After a second he scooted a little closer so his back just barely touched mine and I could feel every neuron in my body blaze. If he thought this was supposed to help me sleep then he had a twisted sense. I was too chicken to say anything and screwed my eyes shut, hopping I could find some semblance of sleep despite being hyper aware of every breath by the dwarves in the room.

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><p><em>What are Fae?,<em>

_Books on fae are hard to come by, even in Rivendell. It doesn't matter since I can't read them, but anyone I ask about the fae keep their mouths shut like it's a taboo or something. Elrond is like Glorfindel and keeps saying I should forget about them and it's driving me crazy. The most I can get out of them is fae are uncontrollable abominations that are dying out on their own. But why are they dying out and where did they come from?_


	12. Chapter 12

****If you draw your attention to the upper left hand corner Padme4000 has drawn a wonderful piece of fanart she let me use as this fic's cover. You can find it on her deviant art under the same username. ****

**Special mentions of reviewers: Vaughn Tyler, sistaa-krimzz, Vanafindiel, filimeala, luvgirl101, Rainbow Haired Girl, Padme4000, Rookie Cookie Baked Crispy, Blonde Pickle Mule, wrmauney, FleurSuoh **

**I thank you all for your patience and supportive reviews. This chapter is a bit late but I hope the sizeable amount of content makes up for the delay. **

* * *

><p>I wasn't sure if I fell asleep or drifted to a place on the edge of the waking world when I was ripped from a warm embrace and thrown amongst guttural screams, raucous shouting, and a clashing of weapons. Bodies were everywhere, twitching and sneering. Gnarled hands on all sides threw me bodily to the floor and on a squirming body. My head was swimming from screams jolting electricity through my skull and curling down my spine. A gutted cry of surprise and revulsion pushed out my lungs when a beady eyed creature with leathery skin strung too tight over bone and covered in boils grinned at me through cracked lips and pointed teeth. <em>Goblins<em>.

Cold Steel touched with my neck and I scrambled back from the goblin crouched close, poised to draw its rusty blade across my jugular. Not much bigger than a Hobbit, the goblin's cruel eyes jeered and it jabbed the air tauntingly between us.

A deep bellow and an animalistic screech of a stuck pig was all I registered before Thorin jerked a blue glowing, black smeared Orcrist out of the twitching goblin. For all of a second I was able to stand on my feet before for a goblin to grab a fist full of my hair and yanked backward. I screeched at the searing pain shooting up my scalp and flattened the goblin that hadn't expected me to go down so easily. I wasn't a hundred percent so soon after the river incident.

The goblin writhed and spit as it clawed at my back between my terrified screams and frantic flailing. I twisted and lashed out with my elbows and suddenly the creature was no longer there. I was pulled to my feet and pushed back by Bifur as Bombur rushed by to body slam the goblin that launched itself into the air. The goblin bounced off Bombur's great belly and flew into a mass of its ugly accomplices, knocking them over like bowling pins.

Frantically, my eyes drew to the back of the cave where a once solid stone wall was now thrown open by a giant door which goblins spilled from, shrieking and brandishing weapons. One goblin came too close for comfort and a blue flash stuck it in the middle, sending it rolling to the floor, screaming in pain. I stared wide eyed at Bilbo who looked just as terrified as I felt. He held Sting in his trembling hands, watching in horror as the creature he just stabbed contorted.

I groped around my feet and picked up the first object I could find. A rock. I bashed it into the crook of a goblin's neck with as much force as I could manage but was pretty sure all I accomplished was making it angry. Bifur, with a Khuzdul war cry, killed the same goblin that turned to snarl at me with its gaping, rotting mouth.

Vomit crept up my esophagus at the pungent smell of spilled organs and bile and I realized we needed to get out of the cave and back on the mountain path. The cave was too small for a fight and was too close to the goblin's door. The problem was I couldn't figure out where the exit was. It was still dark outside, leaving the cave near pitch black except for the torches the goblins carried and the blue glow of Thorin and Bilbo's elven swords.

The creatures went down easily but made up in sheer number. The dwarves were batted and shoved - Goblins acted the part of living sandbags to weigh the dwarves down while others stole their weapons. In the time span of a few blinks of an eye, we were overrun.

Goblins wedged themselves between Bifur and Bombur who were proving difficult to bring to their knees, shoving them into other goblins who were happy to help take them down and separate the two dwarves that had been acting as a sort of guard for Bilbo and me. In Bifur and Bombur's place goblins came so close I could smell the stench of their breath and see the reflection of torches in their eyes.

I shouted in rage and wild fear, cursing creatively as I sprang at the converging goblins and beat the crap out of them. A whip lashed out, biting into my shoulder like a hot tendril. I pivoted and the whip cracked inches from my eye, nearly destroying my vision permanently.

They were herding us, I realized. No one used whips to kill, only to control and threaten. Somehow, that was scarier than being attacked with the intent to kill.

The goblin that whipped at me died to a blade. I don't know who killed it because I was knocked over and made into a door mat to be trampled and kicked. A boot hooked under my stomach, sending shocks of pain up my rope bruise, and I was punted like a soccer ball across the room. When I next blinked I saw the stars scattered across the sky.

Someone or something gripped my collar and pulled me across the rocky ground and out of sight of the entrance. Whoever snatched me pulled me to my feet and I turned wildly to come face to face with Gandalf. He grimly put a finger to his lips.

I gaped, sucking in too much oxygen before finding my voice, though it shook violently. "Shouldn't we help them?" I said angrily. He honestly couldn't expect to wait quietly while the dwarves were dragged to Goblin Town.

"We will, but first we must wait." Gandalf draped an arm over my shoulder and drew me close despite my struggling.

The screaming was horrible, fueling my fight with the wizard who kept me from running back into the hell hole to beat the shit out of the goblins for scaring me and taking the dwarves. The thought of Fili and Kili being attacked while I did nothing set my teeth on edge.

No matter how much I yelled at Gandalf he wouldn't let go and the wizard had a surprisingly powerful grip for being so old.

The sounds died down, echoing from further away each passing minute until there was nothing but the howl of the wind across the mountains. I shivered with the need to run into the cave and see if anyone was left.

A soft shuffling scrapped inside the cave with the intensity of nails over a chalkboard in the deadened quiet. I tensely held my breath. It was coming closer.

Gandalf raised his staff and turned a bit sideways so I was behind him but still pressed tensely against his side.

"Let me go," I hissed and tried to push away, loathing his restraining touch.

A goblin who's steady breaths sounded more like crackling hisses shuffled out of the cave entrance and looked down the mountains side, grinning. It looked the opposite way from us and my muscles tightened, ready to spring at the creature because I knew where it would look next. Its beady eyes turned and glistened when it caught sight of Gandalf and me. It bared its sharp teeth with glee and drew its sword across the rocks and lunged.

"You will take no more from this company!" Gandalf roared and a light from his staff shot out with the ferocity of a bullet releasing from a gun and hit the goblin square in the stomach. The force knocked the goblin into the air and over the side of the cliff, screaming as it went.

I peeled away from Gandalf who finally let me go and ran into the cave. Dead goblins, body parts, and entrails painted the floors and walls while trampled bedrolls, forgotten weapons, and at least half of the dwarves' belongings were strewn among the mess. The door at the back of cave had disappeared, leaving the wall as smooth and innocuous as before the raid.

There had been no trap door. I didn't know the movie by heart and hadn't read the book, I was flying blind except for remembering some key points, and those memories were shaky at best. Now even those were proving unreliable and I feared what else was going to be different - if the dwarves would make it out of goblin town at all. Not for the first time I wished this was the Lord of the Rings trilogy. At least then I would have a solid understanding of what should and shouldn't happen.

Gandalf stepped tenderly inside. "This was not supposed to happen," He muttered quietly to himself.

"Were you expecting something else?" I asked in disbelief. Did he know about the trap door scenario?

Gandalf used his staff to nudge a dead goblin. "I expected this path would be free of these foul creatures."

He didn't know. Somehow that was worse than if he had led us here expecting the goblin trap.

"Well, it wasn't!" I said angrily and went to where I last saw my backpack. It was in the same general spot along with Fili and Kili's belongings. Kili's coat was drying alongside my cloak his bag was kicked open, and Fili's satchel was missing. I gathered my spilled things and stuffed them into my backpack and my face fell when I found my bow lying in two pieces.

I threw on my damp cloak and gave in to an unexplainable compulsion to entwine my fingers in Kili's leather coat to feel the tough leather. There was a bump underneath and when I flipped it up saw his bow and half full quiver.

I folded his heavy coat and stuffed it into my bag before moving on to see what else could be salvage. All the food was crushed or missing so I gave up rummaging in Bombur's spoiled provisions and when I stood up my toes connected with something that clanged against the stone. I reached down and pulled up a knife, Fili's knife. It had a unique shape to it and his crest that was different from Kili's carved into the pummel.

I clutched it and spoke in a voice that sounded off even to my ears. "We have to get them back."

"That we can both agree on," Gandalf said tiredly. "Though it will not be a simple task."

"I don't care," I said harshly and shouldered Kili's bow and quiver. "How do we get inside?"

Gandalf narrowed his eyes at me then turned to brush his hand across the smooth wall where the door had been. "I believe this would be the best way." He closed his eyes and muttered what sounded like elvish under his breath. A white seam split down the stone and the door lurched once before opening slowly, grinding against the floor as it swung out.

"Stay close. Goblin tunnels are treacherous and much unlike a dwarf kingdom. You will find no comforts or sound earth here," Gandalf warned as if I expected a red carpet and fields of roses.

The tunnels were one big maze lit by torches hanging on the walls. The main path never stayed straight for more than a couple feet and other tunnels branched from it in unforetold directions. Gandalf led the way and I held Fili's dagger backwards so it was parallel to my forearm. I knew nothing about using a blade but figured basic physics would help give any slashing I had to do an extra _umph,_ and if I tripped I was less likely to stab myself.

More than once I played with the idea of taking out the handgun but it would be useless against so many goblins, and I had no idea if it would fire. I didn't know how well modern guns stood against the test of time and without a cleaning and a proper inspection by someone who knew what they were doing it could literally blow up in my face.

My knees were bent and my muscles were tight. Never had I felt so on edge or in need of tearing something to pieces. A stress ball or something to kick the heck out of would have been nice right about now.

"This way." Gandalf turned sharply and strode down a new tunnel.

It was odd how he seemed to know where he was going and I wondered if he'd been here before.

"How you plan to rescue them?" I asked despite knowing what was supposed to happen. Supposed to being the key words. Discomfortingly, Gandalf said nothing.

He halted suddenly and looked down one of the tunnels. After a moment's hesitation he dove in and I followed curiously. It wasn't a tunnel but a room full of sloppily constructed wooden racks with copious swords, axes, and other weapons blanketed in a layer of dust that permeated every inch of the place.

"Arm yourself with what you can but do not take more than you can carry. You will need more than a dagger and arrows." Gandalf moved further in, carefully inspecting the weapons, many of which were rusting. "These are dwarvish weapons pillaged from the battle of Azanulbizar," Gandalf said as though his thoughts were far away. He reverently traced a hazardously stacked pile of blades. "And so many others."

The storage room reminded me of video games where weapons and health potions were ripe for picking, a red flag that the player was about to stumble right into a major boss battle. A nauseating surrealism hit my head, making it spin, and for a second I wondered if I wasn't in some twisted video game. Hit movies always had bad video game spin offs, it might explain why there hadn't been a trap door.

"Where's my save point," I muttered.

There were no glowing potions or scraps for bandages, but there were plenty of weapons and I had no idea what was considered a good blade. I started by collecting arrows strewn about in odd places between swords and broken pieces of armor and threw them into Kili's quiver. I accidentally knocked over a helmet with an ax sticking out of it and when it rolled over it rattled and spit out segments of a vertebrae. _Lovely,_ I though and nudged the helmet away with my foot.

I figured I should grab a sword though I would be in more danger of injuring myself than the goblins. It would be better than a little dagger and a bow I could sort-of use so I crouched on the floor and blew dust off a pile of blades. Many of them the swords and axes I placed aside were rusted or chipped. One of the blades near the bottom of the pile caught my attention because if its shape. It was hacked at an odd angle, but sharp, and looked a lot like Fili's. This one showed more ware than his ever did and when I picked it up the hilt's pommel had a different symbol. It was squarer but had the same general design as Fili and Kili's crests. I dug a little further and as I suspected there was a partner blade. It was shaped more like a normal sword but had a matching pommel.

I gripped the hilts of the blades, feeling more inept than ever. "Do I get to save every other step?" I wondered aloud. "Or do I have to find a check point?"

"What are you talking about?" Gandalf asked after putting a blade down. Apparently he was finding none his size.

I barked a one-note laugh. "I'm just wondering if we're about to step into Silent Hill or Resident Evil." I dropped my voice to sound manlier and held the swords out. "What are you buying?"

"These are weapons of the dead, not trinkets for the market, unless you're a highway man which I know for a fact you are not. It would do you good to show some respect." Gandalf said critically and I swore he saw me as a three year old most days.

"Is there some kind of protocol where I'm supposed to kiss them or do some sort of weird hand gesture? How do you even disrespect a weapon?" Dripping with sarcasm, I tried to make hand gestures while holding the short swords.

"Nothing so fanciful," Gandalf said. "Just remember the blades are now your shield, passed down from their original owner. If it were not for unfortunate fate then you would be defenseless."

He made the swords sound like adopted pets though I doubted they cared or were aware of who used them. If a goblin got a hold of them they wouldn't turn to jelly or magically fly out of their hand and into mine, the swords would just go straight through my heart or chop my head off like the goblin wanted.

"Can we just go? The guys seriously need help getting out of here." I keenly remembered Gandalf saved the dwarves in the nick of time and I didn't want to screw up the timing and find one or more of our companions dead.

"Indeed." Gandalf nodded grimly and led the way back into the tunnels.

A low base I could feel thumping in my ribcage more than I could hear grew steadily stronger until I could make out the booming of drums. The cacophony grew louder, adding blood curdling, inhuman cheering. The tunnel walls abruptly spilled into to a cavern laced with a network of catwalks and rope bridges stacked at uneven levels. Wooden shacks jutted out of the rock and thousands of torches lit the darkness with a dancing, fiery glow. Over the side of the bridge we crossed I couldn't see the bottom, only blackness.

"Are we looking for the Goblin King?" I asked sullenly and didn't know why I asked even though I knew the answer.

"I assume that is where they have been taken. How did you know of the king?" Gandalf asked.

I tried not to picture the bulbous creature from the movie. "Is it a queen then, like a darkspawn broodmother?" I asked in an off-beat manor to make it sound like I was making guesses by the skin of my teeth.

"What you speak of sounds particularly foul but there is only a King and he is not the benevolent sort. Goblins have no allies and they dislike each race equally. Though it could be said they dislike dwarves a margin more than others. It's best if you stay out of sight when the time comes to face him."

"I'll just throw on my invisibility cloak," I muttered.

I thought it was strange we hadn't encountered any goblins thus far but when I joined Gandalf crouching behind a spiky wooden barrier, I figured out why. Through the gaps in the wood I saw possibly every goblin in the city crowded around a platform suspended at the very center of the chasm. The goblins were stomping and yowling incoherently, obviously happy about something.

Before them was a giant throne of bones back dropping the spitting image of the Goblin King from the movie. He looked more like a giant tumor than a goblin as he swung his hands in the air, jiggling his giant chin.

I tried to catch sight of the dwarves but all I saw was a conglomerate of goblins.

"He is a liar, O truly tremendous one!" A hunched over goblin standing apart from the rest addressed the Goblin King.

The others hushed a few notches and the Goblin King closely inspected the goblin by leaning closer, then he beadily scrutinized someone in the crowd where I could only guess the dwarves were.

This was going to end badly, one way or another, and I wanted to let the goblins know just how pissed I was at them for abducting the dwarves and giving me the rudest awakening I've ever had in my life. Unshouldering Kili's bow, I notched an arrow and aimed at the Goblin King's fat body. He was too big to miss and I didn't care where I hit him so long as I stuck him somewhere and gave the dwarves and Gandalf an opening while pissing him off in the process.

Said wizard looked at me critically and I glared back, daring him to tell me to stop.

The smaller goblin continued, "When we invited these creatures to come below they attacked several of our people; and they are dead as stones. Also he has not explained this!" He held up a sheathed blade for the Goblin King to take and I wanted to laugh at the idiocy of being 'invited' to Goblin Town.

The Goblin King turned over the scabbard and unsheathed the sword that easily recognizable as Orcrist. He staggered back and let loose a howl of rage, throwing down the sword as if it had burned him, and the surrounding goblins erupted into screams and snarls as they beat their feet on the platform.

"Murderers and elf-friends!" The Goblin King spat. "Slash them! Beat them! Bite them! Gnash them! Take them away to dark holes full of snakes, and never let them see the light again!"

I stood unnoticed thanks to the chaos and took aim at the Goblin King. My hands were shaking but I fell back on the memory of my lessons and found yet another use for my iron curtain. _Breathe out and let go, don't blink_. The arrow flew.

The Goblin King didn't even scream when the arrow went through his eye socket. He flailed and stumbled, teetered backward until his girth took his momentum over the edge. I screamed in triumph and gave a double finger salute through a rush of heat that made me feel better than I had in days. "That's what you get you fucking bastards!"

The goblins that were already in a frenzy shrieked in heightened rage and started crawling toward me like a flood of ants. My eyes went wide and I looked frantically for Gandalf who was already standing next to me. He raised his staff that was glowing white at the tip the light expanded in a loud concussion, blasting the goblins back and momentarily whiting out my vision.

"Take up your weapons! Fight!" Gandalf shouted to the dwarves I could finally see rolling among the goblins.

They didn't have to be told twice and dived for the pile of their belongings.

"Follow me quick!" Gandalf said to me and drew his elvish sword, Glamdring.

He hacked his way through goblins while I exchanged Kili's bow for the dwarvish swords and looking apprehensively between them and the goblins Gandalf kept at bay. One goblin stumbled past him after being slashed by Gandalf's blue glowing sword and its jaundice eyes locked on mine and its mouth pulled into a gnarled sneer. It leapt with a guttural croak and I squealed like the most pathetic female horror victim on the planet and held the blades up like crossed shields.

Embarrassingly, I closed my eyes and waited for the blow but I heard a war cry and a pained scream instead. When I opened my eyes the goblin was gone but I had no time to see who'd cut it down because I was swarmed and bumped roughly into by dwarves who picked up the pace when Gandalf started running. I was trapped in the middle of the roaring company who swung their blades at the goblins crashing against them like ocean waves against rocks. One of the ugly monsters stuck its face a little close for comfort and I stabbed it in the eye. It hissed and fell back and disappeared in the throng with throated snarl.

The rush through the mountain was a blur of bodies, screeching, bellowing, cursing dwarves, swinging blades, and cracking stone. All sense of direction became lost and only occasionally would I get the chance to swing at a goblin and when I did I couldn't deliver a fatal wound. At some point they started raining down from above.

Two blades were awkward to use and I could never get enough thrust out of one arm so I weaved one of the swords through the straps on my bag. With my other hand free, I swung in an arch and nearly clipped Bofur when I misjudged my reach. I grimaced apologetically but I didn't think he saw any of it.

Several goblins landed on Bombur's shoulders and the great dwarf began to spin. The dwarves around him ducked and surrounding goblins jumped on their backs. I lashed out, driving my sword into a closing goblin. The blade bit through flesh, bone, and leather, and it was the strangest sensation in the world. Never had I expected to be able to feel so much through steel. I shook the sword trying to dislodge it from the creature and settled for letting the corpse drop on the ground so I could put my foot on its body and wrench the sword out.

Bending down was my first mistake. A goblin crawling over my back, trying to get its hands on my freed weapon before I could turn it around in a good grip. Instead of retaliating with the sword I rolled like a horse when a predator latched onto its hindquarters. My weight wasn't immense enough to make the goblin let go, but when I fell through open air gravity was more than happy to help. With a scream I plummeted and landed hard on a bridge that rattled from the impact and sent an explosion of pain from my pack and Kili's quiver digging into the back of my ribs.

Only a fool would have thought the worst was over, and I decided to be a fool. A goblin fell over the side of the bridge above, catapulted by a dwarf or tossed off by one of its own, and was going to land square on my face. Without thinking I rolled and fell right off the bridge. I screamed again, thinking of how much of a fucking idiot I was and hoped there would be another bridge. There was, and I felt it when I landed and continued to roll from the momentum. Both drops had been no more than five feet each one hurt like a bitch. I was lucky I hadn't hit my head either time and it seemed my ingrained obsession of keeping things close meant I still had the dwarvish blade in my hand. It was a miracle I hadn't impaled myself on the thing.

Sluggishly, I stood and tried to spot the dwarves above. I saw goblins, but no dwarves. I looked both ways on my bridge that was clear of goblins and veered off the course from the bridges above. I didn't have much of a choice so I followed the path paralleling the dwarves' and hoped it wouldn't lead me to a dead end.

The bridge funneled into a rocky tunnel, cutting off my view of the cavern, and dipped steeply into the mountain. I had to lean back and run sideways to keep from falling flat on my face though Ori's boots I had borrowed while mine dried were too large and made the trip extra difficult. I hadn't thought to grab my hiking boots before entering the goblin tunnels and too late did I realize it could be a very long time before I found proper fitting shoes again.

Bones and other indescribable foul things crunched and squished under my feet as I plunged headlong into pitch blackness. There were no torches here and the stench was ten times worse than above and hit my nose like a sledgehammer. If I ended up in some death infested dungeon I was going to kill the wizard or the next dwarf I saw….Fili and Kili's faces came to mind I hoped they would make it out of this mess okay. I wanted to strangle and kill them myself. They weren't allowed to die until then, they were major characters from the movies and books, after all.

Vaguely, I felt akin to a character who'd broken the game coding and was falling through the map into a pixilated oblivion where the ocean was up and the sky was underneath. That check point was looking really good right about now.

My feet didn't magically fall through the floor but it did finally level out, rather sharply I might add. I was still full of momentum and careened into a pile of god knows what, and kept going into a rock with my arms thrown out. I smacked into it and crumpled, panting like a dog. I took a moment to regain my breath and ease the spinning in my head. I gagged on a humid stench worse than anything I had ever smelled before and pulled Kili's shirt over my nose. Under a gloomy light coming from a source I couldn't see, I saw pile of rotting flesh and bones piled about the opening of the tunnel I just exited. I may have just escaped through Goblin Town's dumpster.

With a shaky sigh I stood and picked up the dwarf sword I'd flung away when I careened toward the rock. It was coated in dried, flaking blood that I flicked off as I walked to get away from year's worth of rotting dinners, or victims, or both. The sudden quiet was deafening to my still ringing ears but I welcomed the reprieve this much smaller and more natural looking cave provided. Not a dungeon then, at least I didn't think so.

Speaking of reprieve, I became acutely aware I hadn't made a bathroom break before bed and was practically bursting now that I wasn't running for my life. I thanked my 'oh so convenient' bodily functions and found to place to go while I had the time – I doubted any goblins lived right next to their own dump. Wouldn't this be a great tale to tell? A girl had to put everything on hold to go to the bathroom in a dark cave while being scared out of her friggin mind.

After the quickest pit stop of my life, the smell of rot became less pronounced the further I went and it gave me an idea. In Moria Gandalf followed the smell of fresh air to make it out of the mines, and the small bit of wind blowing away the stench was as good as it got down here.

I closed my eyes briefly and took a whiff of the air.

My nose led me through the cave which grew lighter with each turn I took, a good indication I was on the right path.

A rock fell from the ceiling and bounced off my head, and I screeched and half laughed, half moaned hysterically. I took a deep breath through my skyrocketing heartbeat, mentally chanting it was nothing, but couldn't get the pounding in my chest to slow.

A hoarse, feral scream I would recognize anywhere had me jumping a foot in the air and I choked on my own spit. Gollum. His shrieking reverberated from everywhere, making it impossible to pin point where he was, but he was definitely moving. I broke into a run, darting through the rocks in hopes I would miss him.

Ahead I could see a harsh light no torch could create, and a door; the exit! I made a mad dash for the sunlight but was tackled behind a stalagmite. I couldn't see an assailant but felt hands and a solid body pushing against me with all its strength.

"No, _no_!" I blindly fought back with panicked yells somewhere between a scream and a cry and a cold, invisible piece of flesh clamped around my mouth and jaw. A harsh shove sent me toppling over and I instinctively curled up, fighting to get my knees between me and the attacker and was on the verge of sobbing through my muffled pleads.

The tips of my toes dug into flesh and in a flash I was eye to eye with Bilbo who'd materialized right in front of my nose. Both of us stopped breathing. Bilbo was stretched over me, his arms flung out and something shiny and gold was pinched between his fingers. _The Ring._

"Can you _please_ stop? I'm not dough that needs beating." Bilbo said in a high pitched whisper as if I had kicked him where the sun don't shine. He rolled off and landed hard on the dirt.

"What are you doing?" I asked harshly at the same whispering level and had a strong urge to punch him and hug him at the same time.

"You were about to blow your cover, our cover, _my_ cover. That door," Bilbo pointed harshly at the beckoning sunlight. "Do you really think you can just walk through it? This mountain is no hobbit hole you can nicely leave whenever it pleases you."

"Why not?" I asked defiantly and Bilbo shushed me harshly and dragged me back down when I tried to get up.

"Don't be a fool. I didn't notice it at first either but there are guards. You can't see them from here but they are there, a whole group of them sitting in the darkest corner facing doorway. And there's a guard sitting right behind the door." Bilbo glanced off to the side of the door and I strained to see what he did and saw nothing but shadows and rocks.

"We're going to have to get through it somehow." I drew the dwarven sword I had recklessly abandoned to my chest and surveyed the opening. It was only twenty feet away. It would be possible to make a sprint for it, but if the goblins had arrows or a trap we wouldn't make it ten feet. "You wouldn't happen to have a grenade, would you?" I asked with a thin smile. Bilbo's head bobbed backward and his lips puckered out as he looked away either out of confusion or discomfort. "How many were there?"

"Five, I think. Wait, I'm sure it was five," Bilbo whispered with darting eyes.

There would be no way I could fight five goblins on my own, I wasn't sure if I could fight just one. Bilbo didn't look to be in a better boat, he wasn't any more of a fighter than I was.

"Would goblins turn to stone if they went out into the sun?" I asked.

"Of course not," Bilbo scoffed. "They don't like it, or so I've been told, but they aren't trolls. They won't turn to stone."

"Damn it. Do you have any ideas?"

"Me?" He asked incredulously that I would ask for his input. I nodded encouragingly. "Well, I don't know. Perhaps we could distract them."

"With what, your hairy feet?"

"Now see here!" He whispered in offense.

A smile twitched on my lips. I couldn't resist. "So a distraction…" I mused. "I don't think throwing rocks will work and an arrow would give away our general direction. How fast do you think more of those things can come?" Goblins were like fire ants, I concluded, and when an ant nest was disturbed the angry soldiers come out _en mass_. I only had to remember a summer when I stepped on a mound while wearing sandals and had no idea _what _I had just stepped in until it was too late.

"What if, what if…" Bilbo shifted uncomfortably and I waited for him to gather his courage. "What if I distracted them?"

My brain clicked so hard it nearly shut off from the stupidity of what it missed. "The ring," I said excitedly.

"Ye-how do you know about that?"

"Ah, well…You were invisible until you took that ring off," I choked and pointed at his fist where he concealed the magic jewelry. Now wasn't the time to tell him its long history and from what I remembered it wasn't dangerous during The Hobbit and there wouldn't be any ring wraiths after us if we used it, or so I hoped.

"Right then. I'll put it on and distract them, somehow, and in the mean time you will sneak out."

The plan was so full of holes and I could see a hundred different ways this could go horribly wrong.

"How will you get out? And what would distract the goblins enough where they won't see me running for the exit? You'll have to do something loud and flashy."

"I-I'll think of something." Bilbo's answer was discomforting.

I wanted a plan B but I couldn't come up with anything besides trying to fight the goblins off with swords and arrows, a plan I was sure would fail if it came to that. There was no choice, I would have to trust Bilbo while keeping one eye on my back.

I took a deep breath. "Okay, let's do this. Whenever you're ready. I'll make a dash for the exit when things get loud and you better come out within a minute or I'm coming back in."

Bilbo nodded, looked down, shook his head then looked me briefly in the eye before standing slowly. He slipped on the ring and was gone. The only trace he left were footprints in the dirt as he walked around the rocks. I crouched low and adjusted my weapons to make sure they were secure and not about to fly off the second I took off running.

My heartbeat and breath were too loud in the silence and my muscles felt tight. Now that I wasn't moving the sting of every future bruise and scratch throbbed in unison. Tomorrow was going to be fun, if I survived to see tomorrow.

Just when I was getting overly anxious a loud crash and the following chorus of goblin screeches set loose my coiled muscled and I was standing before realizing it, unsure if I should run now or wait a second. Another loud bang and a second uproar echoed deafeningly about the cave and I took it as my queue. I zeroed in on the exit and ran with every ounce of speed I could muster.

Ten feet from the door the goblin screams escalated and I heard scuffling coming closer and I knew they'd seen me. My legs were burning from the strain and my middle was cramping but I found the strength to go faster. At five feet from freedom I was tackled from behind and crashed to the ground from the force. I rolled, crushing the goblin underneath my back and felt a blade slice the surface of my arm with a sharp sting. I grabbed the hand with the blade while the goblin clawed at my throat and I wasn't sure what body parts were where anymore as I struggled to pry the blade from the creature as it hissed and snarled in my ear with what might have been its native tongue.

The blade came free, I heard it clatter to the ground and the goblin's hand open as it attempted to twist its wrist out of my fingers. I ribbed the goblin and kicked off, dislodging myself from it and rolling to my feet. I drew the weapon I could grab the quickest, Fili's knife, seconds before the goblin lunged with a spitting howl. I lashed out with the knife, driving it into the goblin under its own force. The blade cut through flesh with a meaty, gristle feel that vibrated up through the handle and the goblin jerked back, clutching at its throat.

I pulled the blade out, allowing black blood to spray from the goblin's severed carotid artery, and turned without a second thought to sprint for the exit. A second goblin sprang from the shadows and tried to make a grab as I ran past but it jumped away from the blade I slashed at its middle. Another bang resounded and a squeal, then in the next instant I was blinded by a bright sunset.

I stopped a sizeable distance from the entrance and turned sharply. A goblin was staring out from just inside the door, glowering and making rude gestures. I drew Kili's bow and aimed an arrow, ready to take the mad gremlin down, but it pitched forward and hit the dirt as if knocked from behind. It scrambled to its feet, snarling and looking around for the culprit. I let the arrow go and felt a sliver of the same satisfaction from killing the Goblin King when it hit the goblin in the chest. It shrieked and retreated back into the mountain.

A force caught my arm just when I was ready to collapse in relief and spun me around, tugging me so would run with it. Midstride, Bilbo tore off his ring. "Remind me…to never…do that…again!" he huffed out between breaths.

An unbidden laugh not entirely sane escaped my lungs. "You liked it."

"I did not!"

"What did you do to distract them?"

Bilbo took a second to catch his breath. "Rocks. Boulders. The goblins had a catch of them left over from digging, restrained by a wood barricade above their heads. I cut the ropes."

I laughed even louder. "Seriously?"

"Quite serious."

Neither of us were great runners and quickly ran out of breath. Bilbo stopped and doubled over his knees and I leaned against a tree. The sun had dipped behind a mountain, bleeding a dusky light that would soon turn over to darkness in the next few minutes.

"I can't believe that just happened. Goblins," Bilbo scoffed. "I never want to see another so long as I live."

"Ditto. They stink and they're damned ugly." I shivered as a vivid mental image of one flashed before my eyes.

Bilbo stilled and leaned forward, squinting. "What is that? That light over there?"

I turned around to see a glowing red-orange light that pulsed and danced around the trees. A fire, which meant camp and might mean dwarves, but it was too big. The scent of burning wood and smoke wafted into my nostrils when I sniffed the air.

"A forest fire?" I wondered. A blazing inferno would be just what we needed after the goblins.

"Please no," Bilbo groaned in disdain.

A sharp, guttural howl pierced the dark woods and made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. That was no wolf and this was no accidental forest fore.

* * *

><p><em>News Flash,<em>

_It's been a while since I've been to the cave but I managed to go the other day. I was careful this time and stayed away from the river though the fae kept trying to lure me toward it with promises of delicious food described in hyper detail. It was kind of funny and sad how desperate she seemed to drown me. She switched between being sweet to screaming about how disgusting the human race was, me in particular. At one point she started singing, abruptly cutting off mid rant. Can fae have schizophrenia? _

_I did finally get a coherent word out of her and she said she could help me get home if I help her. I don't know if I can believe her but I have to try. The elves either have no idea how to help me or are holding back on purpose and it's driving me mad._

_Glorfindel gave me this really cool sword. He say's I'm not ready to use it but he wanted me to have it for just in case. I think it's his way of apologizing, maybe, for when I yelled at him from keeping secrets about the fae when he knows how important it is I know. _

_I guess I'm really on my own if I want to find a way home._


	13. Chapter 13

**Special mentions of reviewers: **Vaughn Tyler, Vanafindiel, luvgirl101, Rookie Cookie Baked Crispy, TheRealProtector, Padme4000

* * *

><p>Heat from licking flames and guttural howls saturated the night; blue light casted from Sting gripped in Bilbo's sweating palms, its luminance bouncing off our pale skin.<p>

"You might want to put your ring on," I suggested quietly as a war cry rose above the crackling flames.

Bilbo hesitated. "What about you? What if there are more goblins?"

"I highly doubt those are goblins," I said and tried to not think the worst case scenario though multiple versions of it were flashing through my mind.

Bilbo nodded sorrowfully, confirming he thought the same. I gripped Kili's bow though the weapon didn't make me feel any safer. I doubted I could hit a moving target, especially if it was coming after me.

"Go left around the perimeter and I'll go the other way. If the dwarves aren't there, we'll meet back here." I wanted it to be the dwarves as much as I didn't. On one hand it would mean they made it out of the mountain, on the other it would mean they leaped from the frying pan and into the literal fire.

"Right, we'll meet right here. Got it," Bilbo said tensely and slipped on his ring.

Crouching, I weaved through the trees and flames that licked at my face and exposed hands. The warmth was welcoming despite knowing how quickly it could spiral out of control.

A black shape the size of a bear streaked by and I dropped to the ground. A warg with an orc mounted on its back crashed through the trees, breaking limbs and spraying dirt as it took long looping strides into the near distance. I sprang up and pursued them at a short lived sprint before ducking behind a tree. There were orcs and wargs everywhere, circling the trees. Wargs stood on their hind legs, snapping and snarling as their front claws dug into tree bark. I looked up and made out shapes in the trees.

"Call back your vile pets! I won't stand for this!" Dori's distinct reprimand rang through the woods and made an orc chuckle.

The amused orc was huge, ripping with muscles under its white chest and back engraved with battle scars that glowed like white chalk in the darkness. He rode astride a white warg with piercing yellow eyes, raking his three pronged spear embedded in his forearm through the beat's fur. _Azog_, I keenly remembered.

Azog spoke in a deep, grinding language, his tone was far too happy for my liking. He was mocking the dwarves, particularly Thorin since he had killed Thorin's father and was proud of it. At least that's what he had done in the movie. I didn't speak black speech so he could have been talking about the weather for all I knew. I concluded it was a command of sort because orcs surrounded the trees and began digging axes into the bark, hacking away at trunks of the trees the dwarves occupied.

I aimed an arrow at Azog. Taking him out would likely cause anarchy or bring about my death faster. With a split second decision I aimed for one of the chopping orcs and let loose an arrow. It sailed past its head and ugly monstrosity spun, snarling. The other orcs were alerted and I moved quickly, cursing repeatedly at my stupidity and poor aim. A stick snapped loudly under my foot and I prayed crackling flames would mask the sound.

Lucky or unlucky, the trees were weakened from the few chops and the wargs knock them over. The pines timbered slowly, falling into other trees and snapping them with their weight. The dwarves yelled out wordlessly and the orcs turned their attention back to their more threatening quarry. I ducked low, breathing a tepid sigh of relief.

The dwarves climbed to their feet and drew their swords, huddling together as I notched an arrow in case I saw an opportunity to help. I scanned the company, taking account of their number, and quickly spotted Fili and Kili. Everyone seemed whole, for the moment.

"Your battle is with me!" Thorin roared, raising Orcrist.

Azog smiled cruelly and spoke slowly, letting his foreign words sink into the vulnerable parts of Thorin's heart. Thorin's eyes widened, turned harsh as he grit his jaw and a warg lunged out of the fire. Dwalin brought his ax down on the beast's head, smacking it down and killing it before it could reach Thorin.

Azog's voice boomed in command and the orcs and wargs took a step back, crouching and favoring their weapons. Thorin let loose a battle cry and charged Azog through the licking flames and black smoke. The pale orc conducted a new order, sending the orcs surging forward, skirting around Thorin in favor of reaching the other dwarves. Thorin swung his blade down and Azog blocked the blow with a triumphant sneer.

I was at a loss for what to do next. Shooting arrows into the thick of them would hit an ally and if I ran in with swords blazing my head would get cleaved off. I hesitated to draw my sword and felt my heart jump into my throat when a warg sniffed the air and threw its glinting eyes my way. I hastily drew up Kili's bow and fired at the charging beast, missing by a wide margin.

The warg snapped its massive jaws on smoky air and I screamed in terror as my legs moved. The fire was everywhere, there wasn't a way around except by moving closer to the battle, the exact place I didn't want to go. The warg was faster and the air above swirled as its jaws snapped with a loud click. My foot caught on an embedded rock, root, or who knew what else. I fell to my knees and the warg's fangs closed overhead, clacking with the force. A small, sharp, and reflective object flew out of the fire and embedded in the side of its head as I rolled to a stand. The warg thrashed and pawed at a small ax embedded in its skull, bellowing and coughing with pain and rage.

I hit the ax with the metal on Kili's bow, sinking the blade in further. The warg wailed, reared, and fell with a loud thump, unmoving. Stumbling back, I struggled to detach from the situation and make my hands stop shaking long enough to draw an arrow. This wasn't like diving into a river with a good idea of what would happen next or watching someone bleed after an accident. There was no time to think, only to act on poor instincts and descent reflexes.

An orc charged out of the main battle from a blind spot, announcing its attack with black speech. I kicked out, slamming my boot into its stomach that might as well have been a brick wall. The force of the connection sent me flying out of reach of the orc's sword and close to a hot pillar of fire consuming a bush. One too many falls were starting to catch up and it was getting harder and harder to recover. Desperately pushing off the ground, my arms and legs shook, threatening to buckle.

The orc jut its chin out, huffing through its fangs and bulging eyes. Slowly, it repositioned its sword, aiming for accuracy instead of power. I tugged at Fili's dagger wedged into a buckle on the front strap of my backpack while swallowing the pulse jumping in my throat. Despite how hard I pulled and wiggled, the dagger wouldn't come out.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," I cursed while pulling harder despite the swinging blade flashing at the edge of my vision.

A war cry was the only warning before an ax drove into its side. A mass of yellow and brown yanked weapon out and used it to behead the monster. The still snarling head of the orc rolled into the grass and my savior kicked the body over into the flames.

"Fili," I choked with bleeding relief. He looked up with cold, piercing eyes that went against his usual cheer. Blood flowed from a cut on his forehead, draining into his eyes and down his cheek. Recognition flashed in depths of his blue irises and he sneered with gritted teeth and swung his ax into a charging orc.

A second orc replaced the first and before I could raise Kili's bow, Fili tore into the orc. The intensity with which he hacked at its flesh was stunning and impressive in a morbidly fascinating way. I was just glad there was someone on my side who knew what they were doing.

A snarled yowl of pain mixed with Thorin's cry turned everyone's head. Orcrist trusted upward impaling the crook of Azog's shoulder, lapping up blood oozing down the length of steel. Still astride his warg, Azog's mount whirled, wrenching Orcrist from Azog. Before Thorin could retaliate, the beast bit down with a force that would snap anyone else's bones. Thorin cried out as the beast adjusted its grip, sinking its teeth in further before tossing his limp body aside.

"Thorin!" Fili tried to rush to his uncle's side but an orc converged on him, reinvigorate by the turning in the tide of battle.

Fili sloppily deflected the blow. Their blades clashed and the force sent him sprawling on the ground. I sprang up and ran at the orc, driving Fili's knife through the creases between the orc's exposed ribs. The orc hardly flinched and punched me right on my bruise from the river incident. I doubled over, choking on air rushing from my lungs.

The orc kicked me over with a spiting word and poised its blade at my exposed back. Fili weakly stopped the blow and his ax flew from the impact, landing somewhere in the trees. The orc angrily trusted its spread palm over Fili's face, digging its nails into his skin, and lifted him off the ground. Fili writhed and clawed and I latched onto the orc's arm, trying to weigh it down. I brought my knee up and dug into the crook of its elbow, forcing the orc's arm to buckle. Outraged, the orc shook me off and tried to smash the pommel of its blade into my temple when a screech neither orc nor dwarf gave it pause.

Giant talons reached down, caged the orc, and plucked it into the air. _The eagles, how could I have forgotten? _I sat back, awash with relief, and watched the giant birds pick off the orcs one by one. They were a surreal existence, and for a minute, I felt like I was back in the movie theater viewing CGI birds throw orcs over cliffs. In the film the dwarves had been dangling over said cliff though I couldn't see one. I wasn't complaining.

The birds came in like a tornados in the middle of a hurricane. In seconds the orcs were gone, either running or carried off into the distance. Likewise, dwarves were yelling as they too were taken into the air. Fili began wrapping a hand around my arm when large talons hooked gently around my middle. I slid out of his reach and was pulled into the air.

Weightlessness and the sharp ascension made my stomach flutter and my weight fall to my toes. It was only slightly unnerving to have my feet dangled in the open air in a living version of a roller coaster. What took my breath away was not the lack of seatbelts or the height at which I was now flying at, it was when the eagle open its talons that the air sucked right out of me. I fell through empty space, unable to scream through the rush of wind that made my eyes water. I landed with a, _hmph,_ on the soft feathered back of a new eagle.

Clinging to the feathers, I buried my face in them as the wood of Kili's bow dug into my bicep. I never wanted to fall down or be dropped again in my life. In fact, I never wanted to see an orc, troll, or fae, either. After taking a moment, I looked up and was treated to a magnificent scenic view of the mountains.

The jagged peaks and greenery below almost made up for the mess we just came out of, almost. Alright, not even close. I could take a plane trip and get the exact same type of view by paying with money instead of blood.

The dwarves were looking about bewildered and some of them opened their mouths to shout words that were lost to the wind. I hunkered down and tried to somewhat enjoy the ride since I knew there would be no catastrophe at the end. It was a small comfort but at this point I would take anything I could get.

The flight was long enough that I fell into a meditative doze, relishing in the wind caressing my scalp. A long while later of what felt like an eternity and seconds simultaneously, the eagle rapidly descended, sending my stomach into my chest as it circled with the other toward the Carrock. One by one they deposited their dwarf payloads and when it was my turn the eagle I rode dipped its body and I practically rolled off its body. I shuffled a few feet away before plopping on my back with my incredibly sore arms spread above my head. I closed my eyes and listened to the beating of eagle wings, soaking up the caressing wind they stirred up while hoping they didn't crap on my head.

Minutes later I sensed a hovering presence and snapped my eyes open to a giant mass of red beard. Gloin would never be my first choice of someone to wake up to.

"Hi?" I said a bit snappish.

His open concern morphed into annoyance. "Oh, great, you're not dead," he drew out sarcastically.

"Dead people don't breathe," I deadpanned.

"Nor can they talk back to their elders." His stern-eyed reprimand was oddly nostalgic, and while I tried to figure out why, he patted my knee and walked away with haste.

"Thorin!" Fili's panicked call sent my nerves firing and I sat up with a jolt.

Fili barely jumped off his eagle when he zeroed in on Thorin lying still on the ground. Gandalf was bent over Thorin, tracing a hand over the dwarf prince's unconscious body. Fili and Kili kept back though worry was painted on their skewed up faces.

Thorin gasped for breath and the collective tension from the company eased. Thorin said something too low for me to catch but Gandalf answered him with a triumphant smile. "It's alright. Bilbo is here, quite safe."

"I am," Bilbo said, stepping forward.

Thorin stood unsteadily and pushed away Fili, Kili, and Dwalin trying to help.

"You," Thorin said breathlessly. "What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed." He walked forward and Bilbo began looked frantically about, searching for a fast exit. "Did I not say you would be a burden? You would not survive in the wild. And you had no place amongst us."

I hadn't seen Bilbo rescue Thorin, but I could see the scene playing out in my head and couldn't help but smile knowing what would come next.

"I've never been so wrong in all my life." Thorin reached forward and pulled Bilbo into a bear hug and the poor hobbit's eyes just about burst out of his head from bewilderment. The others broke into cheers.

Bofur shook my shoulders gleefully and I could feel my brain rattle.

Thorin released Bilbo. "I am sorry I doubted you."

"No, no. I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero, or a warrior, or even a burglar." Bilbo looked up at Gandalf and the two shared a knowing smile.

Thorin paused, stiffened, and looked up slowly. Confused, Bilbo and the others followed his line of sight.

"Is that…what I think it is?" Bilbo wondered.

"Erebor." Thorin's voice was thick with reverence as the others crowded around though I was perfectly happy to stay sitting in the back.

The eagles circled the Carrock and a particularly big one swooped in, landing right next to me. I straightened in my seat but didn't dare move. The bird folded its wings and cocked its head at the dwarves then down at me with that unsettling twitchy head movement all birds possessed. Its golden raptor eyes were sharp and there was a penetrating awareness to them.

"You are not of this realm," The eagle spoke, _spoke. Birds don't talk, this isn't Narnia. _

I stared wide-eyed as it leaned over to get a better look. _I seriously hate birds._ And the eagle flicked its massive head forward to preen my hair.

I screeched, launching off the ground, and rammed the dwarves who'd pulled their weapons. In a whirlwind of movement I was surrounded by bodies, particularly Fili who surged forward, ordering, "Get behind me," as he pulled me back and drew a hunting cleaver.

Kili rushed to Fili's side, holding up his fists in absence of a weapon. The dwarves were frozen, staring down the bird, weary but hesitant to attack.

"I hate birds!" I said miserably as I clutched Fili's backward reaching arm which had a death grip on my shirt.

"That's a fine way to treat those who have saved you," The bird said with amusement.

"We humbly thank you for your help but I question your intentions to purposely frightening our women and making such absurd claims." Thorin said to the great bird who cocked its head, studying Thorin next to me.

"I mean no offense, Thorin Oakenshield, though I assure I tell no lies. They serve no purpose," the eagle relayed.

A chill trailed up my spine when the dwarves turned to assess me.

"That's right amusing," Bofur laughed.

"You're _are_ lying," Kili said angrily.

I breathed an internal sigh of relief. It seemed in a world of dragons, orcs, and giant flying birds, there were still some things too fantastical to believe right off the bat.

A particularly massive eagle came careening toward the one perched before us with a regale screech. The two birds collided, snapped and clawed at each other, striking with their beaks, inches from shredding each other. The fight lasted no more than a second and the smaller eagle took off. The largest one ruffled its feathers and settled on the Carrock.

"I hope you will overlook his rudeness." The new eagle spoke with a pompous air.

"**Lord of the Eagles**. It is _very_ good to see you, again," Gandalf greeted cheerily.

"Indeed. It would be a disservice to let yours die when you have helped mine in the past."

"And let it not be said that the Great Eagles do not hold honor where it is suited."

The great bird ruffled its feathers and clacked its beak. Fili slowly let me go with a brief glance back, and lowered his blade though his posture was still uncertain.

"Aye, but why do they not carry us further? We have no food, few weapons, and we are still close to the Goblins' mountain while they pursue us," Dwalin pointed out and I had to agree.

"Y-yes! Why won't you take us further? Those goblins will be after us," Ori piqued up and Dori and Nori reached out to stop him from taking another step forward.

The eagle tipped its head. "The men of the nearest settlement would shoot at us with their great bows of yew," he said, "for they would think we were after their sheep. And at other times they would be right. No! we are glad to cheat the goblins of their sport, and glad to repay our thanks to you, but we will not risk ourselves for dwarves in the southward plains."

"Very well," said Gandalf. "Take us where and as far as you will! We are already deeply obliged to you. But in the meantime we are famished with hunger."

"That can perhaps be mended," said the Lord of the Eagles.

The eagle flew off and the dwarves started to move about, reinvigorated with the prospect of food. The birds were true to their word and brought dead animals and wood to build a fire Oin and Gloin were happy to start up. Everyone else either helped skin the animals or huddled with their families to look over damages and take a breather.

Oin was patching up Thorin and it was hard not to stare at the dwarf prince's bare chest. Not only was Thorin pleasingly toned, but his body structure was intriguing. He was the same as a human with arms, legs, and a normal chest, but the bone structure off enough to turn on my 'that's just slightly different enough from normal that I must stare and figure out why' drive. Everything about his build was wide and barrel-like, compressed in a sturdy, compact way. I was suddenly craving an anatomy book on dwarves. Did they have larger hearts or duplicates of certain organs? Did their biological functions work differently? How different were their women from human women?

I sensed I was being watched and lock eyes with Fili's. He held my stare for a second before tearing away to continue watching Thorin worriedly from a respectable distance. His mind was racing, apparently bothered by something. I could only guess it had to do with goblins.

My eyes roamed the other dwarves and caught Kili pacing restlessly. He gave a small grin and I beaconed him with a wave. His brow was pinched when he sat down in front of me.

"Is something wrong?" He asked. "Does your arm hurt?"

The cut from the goblin in the caves had left a bloody crust around torn leather and fabric. Compared to my other injuries it hurt the least so I forgot about it. I denied his question with a shake of my head.

"I think you dropped this." I handed him his bow and quiver and his eyes lit up. A degree heaviness from the last few hours melt from his face.

Kili traced the groves in the wood with reverence. "I thought it was lost."

"I hope you don't mind I used it. My bow snapped when the goblins grabbed y'all and yours was laying on the ground. Though I wasn't an expert with it, the weapon proved a small bit of security and comfort as well as practicality. I regretted losing mine.

"Of course not. I'm glad it was of service when you need it most…these arrows are strange." He inspected the old arrows I'd grabbed from the goblin horde. ""Wait. That means…Did you kill the Goblin King with _my _bow?" He lit up with realization.

I shrugged. "Guess so. Does that mean you get to name your bow or something special? Is that a thing you do here?"

"You guess so? Meg, you should be proud of what you've accomplished. Killing the Goblin King? That was amazing and you saved all of our lives."

"Actually, that was Gandalf. The goblins would have just eaten us without his flash-bang magic grenade." I hadn't accomplished anything by killing the Goblin King. I didn't think I would kill it, my skill were inept and I did not execute the kill with precision. If Gandalf hadn't been there, my kill would have meant nothing.

"Gandalf is a great wizard, but he didn't kill the Goblin King. You know, you've earned yourself a name. Say, Meg Goblin Killer. Meg the King Slayer. Human goblin killer."

I cringed. "Please no. I killed Krew's fat uncle on a fluke."

"They're magnificent names." Kili was clearly offended, and not in the mocking sense. "And who is Krew? Was there another giant goblin?"

I made a sound of disgust and wrenched my backpack open. "No way, I hope there's not. He's just a character…from a story."

"Oh, what kind of story?"

With a final tug I freed his coat and threw it at him. "The kind with smelly trench coats and lots of sewers. I am _not_ going there."

Kili fought the clothing off his face an inspected, even sniffed it. "My coat? It doesn't stink."

"What are you doing?"

Kili and I looked up at Fili who had his arms crossed and the simmering anger in his eyes made me pause.

"I'm trying to find the perfect title for Meg. You saw her kill the fat, ugly Goblin King." Kili was no longer smiling and his voice had gone flat. "Did you know she used my bow to kill the monster?"

Fili glowered. "You should be with Oin to fix your wrist now that he's finished with Thorin."

I glanced at Kili's wrists since I hadn't noticed anything wrong with them. Though, now t I was looking, he was stiffly holding his wrist. It could have been a sprain, though I saw no swelling.

Kili straightened. "It doesn't hurt anymore so there's no point. Perhaps you should do something about all that blood on your forehead. Wouldn't want to get that infected and have it addle your head further."

Fili's head wound had stopped bleeding and his face was crusted in dark red from the blood that had run smearing his face and clotted in his beard. Coupled with his intense posturing, he looked like a hardened warrior fresh out of a warzone that hadn't gone in his favor.

I intervened before the spat turned into a yelling match I wasn't in the mood to hear. "Fili, leave him alone. He'll know if he needs medical attention."

Fili snapped and lunged at Kili, trying to pull him to his feet. Kili fought and pulled Fili down and I wasn't sure who landed the first blow when they started throwing punches.

I threw my hands in the air. "Oh my god, are you seriously doing this right now?"

The two tumbled over my backpack so I yanked it out from under them. Kili fell on his back with Fili pinning him.

"You two are goddamn idiots," I grumbled. "Cut the shit!" It was too early in the morning for this crap.

Kili caught Fili's wrist and both of them trembled from the strained stale mate.

"No More!" Thorin boomed. He struggling to stand while Dwalin surged forward and threw Fili off Kili.

"I will not tolerate childish behavior on this quest, nor descent among the company, especially not so deep in enemy territory. You should be ashamed of yourselves, Fili especially. I expected you, my heir, above such madness.

Fili hung his head and turned away as if physically struck. Kili wiped a drip of blood off his lip, glaring off to the side.

Thorin let a blanket of silence float down and suffocate the company, boring his disapproving glare into the brothers before sitting tenderly with gritted teeth.

Once Dwalin stopped looming over Fili who had yet to move, the others returned to quiet conversations. Fili stood abruptly and relocated to a secluded edge of the Carrock where he hunched over to glower at his feet. Kili collected his bow and quiver and walked over to Bofur and Bilbo who were sharing a smoke. Bofur welcomed him with the usual smile that always seemed so fake to me, and Bilbo turned a bit to the side to make himself unavailable.

Hunkering down, venison and cooking rabbit meat made my head feel dizzy and my stomach growl though my mind was a million miles away from my body. What was coming next? My knowledge of The Hobbit was exhausted and not for the first time I wished I was in The Lord of the Rings. Going by pure guess, along the lines of natural story progression, we were hypothetically a quarter of the way through. Possibly there would be one or two more big events not including the climax before this was all over. What those events were probably had something to do with the orcs since I seriously doubted we'd seen the last of them, especially Azog.

The climax was the easy to guess. Smaug. Almost physically, it hurt how much I wished I knew how that part of the story played out. If only I read the book and gleamed some information about the final boss, then I could be of real use. As it was, I had only survived by stupid luck and lots of help. I hated to admit it, but Thorin was right, I didn't belong. My home was in another life, a different world, as the eagle said. The customs in Middle Earth, the people, the values, were strange.

I wanted to go home. I wanted to watch movies, drink coffee, read stupid biology books for class, listen to earth's music, take regular shower, and gorge on hamburgers. Selfishly, I wished one of my friends were here, or at least another girl to talk to. Watching the dwarves huddle together, conversing, filling the air with their presence; I don't think I've never felt more alone. None of them understood me and I didn't understand them. There was no visible barrier but I often felt like an outsider looking in, separated from this world by a wall of glass.

A tap on my shoulder made me jump and shirk away. Bifur gave an apologetic smile with what might have been an apology in Khuzdul. He handed over a piece of cooked meat that looked more like shoe leather. I muttered a thanks and bit into the unseasoned flesh. It tasted salty and the texture was off, not quite meat. When I looked loser, I recognized it was an organ. More precisely, a shriveled kidney. I blanched and checked to see if anyone was looking. When they weren't, I tossed it over the edge of the cliff.

The other dwarves were chowing down on chunks of meat, foregoing cooking utensils to use their hands to hold shanks like kabobs. They tore into the food with their teeth, spraying grease everywhere. No one offered food to Fili and he made no move to get any of his own. Making a split decision, I took a couple strips of meat sitting on a cleaned stone and headed toward Fili. My limbs felt shaky and my head was starting to swim. Standing up again had taken more effort than I thought it would.

I felt eyes searing into my back when I held a piece of still warm venison in Fili's line of sight. He looked up from the food, contemplating before taking the peace offering and tearing into it. I sat unsteadily and grunted in discomfort at the shocks of pain shooting up every part of my body.

Fili paused from eating. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I said soullessly while looking at my bit of meat. I swallowed it in one bite and found it tasted like cardboard.

The Lonely Mountain stood up to its name. Nothing surrounded it, giving the impression of a single, dominating monolith in the far off landscape. It was strange how I was going through so much effort to reclaim a place that meant nothing to me. I would be risking my life with a dragon soon. "So that's Erebor? Hard to believe there's a whole city inside a mountain."

Fili peered at the mountain. "It's a kingdom," He wistfully recalled while turning my foreign term into something he understood as truth. "Its great halls are supported by statues of our ancestors, old magic, and was once filled with the greatest craftsmen of Middle Earth. The mines are more prosperous than in any other mountain. Gems shine out of the walls like stars, even mithril can be found there. We were the greatest race until Smaug took it all away from us." He spoke with pride and powerful determination. "It is our right to take it back," he finished fiercely.

His passion was invigorating and nice to see, but brought up a nagging question Balin tried to explain but I never quite understood. "Why did Smaug raze it in the first place?"

Fili rubbed his hands together and glared. "Everyone's heard the story. Thror, my great grandfather, fell to dragon sickness. He amassed so much gold that Smaug drove us out of the mountain with fire and smoke."

This too, sounded familiar, though didn't quite make sense. "Is dragon sickness a disease, or an addiction? What exactly is it?"

Fili flicked his eyes to Thorin. "From what I've heard, it drives you mad. You lose all reason and care for nothing except gold. Thror used to lock himself away in his treasury for hours on end. Doing what, I don't know. His madness stretched to my grandfather who tried to take back Khazad-dûm which as deemed as much a failure as a victory. Thorin fought in that battle against the orcs and its one tale he refuses tell me the details of. All I know is my grandfather and uncle died, and Thrain lost his eye and along with much of his wits. Later, he left to reclaim Erebor the same as we are, but he never returned. There are those who think our line are cursed, but they're wrong."

An image Thror laughing manically while spinning around a room full of gold and knickknacks warped in my mind and I couldn't help but find the picture ridiculous. "Sounds like he was living in his own little world," I said offhandedly, thinking it was a form of mental disorder or manic depression. "And your grandfather could have been desperate and acted irrationally because of pressure."

"You seem pretty normal to me."

Fili's passion shattered like ice under a sledgehammer. "You think I'm ordinary?"

His hurt made me snicker. I thought he was anything but ordinary, in looks and actions. "I meant you don't look crazy or cursed. Sound of mind. As for ordinary…not really. You swing swords around on a daily basis and deal with orcs and dragons. Not to mention you're a dwarf."

Fili frowned. "Something wrong with being a dwarf?"

I smirked. "You're seriously going to get defensive? If I didn't like you guys I would have left a long time ago. By the way, what do you think happened to your grandfather?" A light bulb had gone off in my head when Fili mentioned we weren't the first to try and take back Erebor.

He sighed. "Gandalf said he found him in an orc prison. He'd lost his mind and was as good as dead."

"Oh," I muttered. Orcs again. They really had it out for Fili's family, it seemed. A short silence stretched and I felt anxious to keep up conversation so finally I asked, "Were you there when Smaug attacked?"

Fili shook his head. "I've never been to Erebor and was born long after it fell."

I hummed. "What do you think we'll find there?"

Fili shifted in his seat. "Cobwebs, old artifacts, heaps of gold, a dragon's corpse."

Perhaps he liked the idea of Erebor instead of the reality and I was glad I wasn't the only one who thought we were going to find a bunch of ruins. Though there was one thing I could be certain about.

"What if the dragon's alive?"

Fili looked at me sharply. "We'll kill it."

I scoffed. "And how do you expect to kill a giant dragon?"

"We'll think of something. No use worrying about it now. The chances of Smaug being alive are slim, anyway."

The truth was Smaug still lived and we would have to come up with a way to kill him. I doubted there were any books titled 'How to Kill a Dragon'. For now, the issue could wait. There would be time to come up with a plan.

Speaking of plans, I rifled through my backpack I brought over and removed the duel swords. They were the reason I came to sat by the stubborn idiot in the first place.

Fili was already watching with interest when I presented them saying, "I found these in the goblin tunnels."

He tilted his head toward them. "May I?"

I nodded and he took them for a closer inspection, squinting and leaning forward for a better look. Most of the blood had rubbed off his dirty face and his braids were in the worst state I had seen yet. Most of them had fallen out and were hanging on by the silver ornaments holding the ends together. His brow creased as he lingered on the symbols engraved on the pommels, his blue eyes scanning.

"These are dwarven, and of royal make. I've never seen this crest before." He looked up and I would have been caught staring under any other circumstance. "Where did you come by these?"

My cheeks went hot and I had to look at the swords to calm my absurd embarrassment from not realizing my ogling. "There was a cache of old weapons Gandalf found. All of them were dwarvish, or so he said, and were haphazardly thrown into piles like some horde. Gandalf told me to grab something before fighting the goblins…you can have them."

Fili pinned me with his blue eyes and his lips parted.

My next words spilled out in a rush. "I can't use two swords and I'm inept as hell in combat with one, and I noticed you lost yours."

Unconsciously, Fili licked his lips and said matter of fact, "You'll have no weapons of our own."

"I found one of your daggers too, so that's not exactly accurate." I fished out the knife covered in a gunky layer of black goo. "Sorry, I kind of got blood on it."

His lips ruefully twitched upward. "In that case, I will gladly receive the swords. They will serve me well. Keep the knife as my thanks."

I laughed dryly. "They're just swords, you don't have to make it sound so formal."

After a pause in which Fili must have been debating something, he said, "It would be an insult if I was not."

Scrunching my nose, I said, "There's a fine line between respectful formality and stiff obligation."

I wasn't sure if the frown he wore was from confusion or his persistently troubled mind. "Where _are_ you from?"

The tone threw me off more than the question I'd already heard several times.

I absently twirled my gold necklace around my finger and breathed out comically. I didn't care anymore if they knew, they wouldn't believe me anyway. "Someplace where orcs, trolls, and goblins don't exist. Or Dwarves, elves, or hobbits. There aren't any real kings and there's no such thing as magic."

"There exist such a place? It sounds terribly boring," Fili questioned with dubious interest.

Heavily, I pinned him with my eyes and nodded. The edges of my sight whitened as his blue irises bored into me.

"This will sound out of place though I don't mean it to be, but why did you come on the quest instead of going home?"

Sucking in a breath, I repeated the question silently to myself, and for once, the answer came naturally. "I don't know how to get home. I joined this quest so I could find it, but now I don't think it's possible to go back."

Fili alighted with revelation. "You were banished?"

"No. I think magic was involved so I physically can't go home, it doesn't exist here." _I shouldn't exist here. _

I reached for my headphones and was shocked when I touched the skin of my neck instead of plastic. Sometime in Goblin Town, or maybe before that, they had fallen off, but I couldn't remember when. A stinging sensation assaulted my eyes and I glared at the ground to fight back tears. Crying over a stupid pair of headphones wasn't on my-to do list.

Fili's brows creased. "If your home was destroyed by magic, were you attacked by a wizard?"

A strangled, frustrated noise bubbled up in my throat. "No. I was transported."

"You mean to say what the eagle said was true, you're from another realm?" The keen interest he showed in my home was uncomfortable. I expected him to write off the possibility as insane like the rest.

"Another world, or dimension, probably. I don't really know. I barely know where I am now. Everything here is just so…different. You probably think it sounds stupid, or insane."

"Insane, perhaps. Stupid, not if you believe it's true. I've learned from Kili not to write off what others say just because I can't see it with my own eyes."

A weight that had been grinding into my chest lifted, freeing up much needed breathing space. "You're better than me. If things were the other way around I would have too much cynicism to believe."

Fili thought hard for a second, then said, "After we take back Erebor, you could live there if you wanted. Or we could find a way to get you home."

My brain must have stalled for a second. Living in Erebor sounded like a twelve year old asking to live in a fairy's castle. Then again, I had resigned myself to Middle Earth unless I found another way to get around the fae. Maybe with Gandalf and the dwarves' help I could, but I didn't want them to risk their lives when they didn't need to.

"I need time to think about it," I said honestly.

"I'm sure Thorin would let you stay. You've helped us greatly and you will be there when we take back the mountain. You will have a right if you wish it so."

"I-" I was at a loss from the out of the blue generosity. "Thank you. It means a lot to have the option." I hoped I came off sincere, I really meant it. Options were all I could hope for right now.

Fili leaned back. "There's plenty of time to decide on an answer."

I shifted my sprawled hand and jerked back when I accidentally touched Fili's. In a quick motion I drug my backpack into my lap and curled around it, placing my chin on my knees. My back was throbbing in multiple places and the short nap on the eagle hadn't been very refreshing. A contemplative silence dragged with Fili and me gazing at the silhouette of Erebor.

* * *

><p><em>Entry Pissed Off,<em>

_Glorfindel if goddamn stupid and pisses me off. Why can't he understand that if he won't tell me about the fae, I have to go to the source? I managed to go a month without anyone finding out I was going to the forest instead of hunting, except Glorfindel, of course. I swear that guy has a beeper on me. Why can't he just back off and let me do this myself? _

_The fae told me what it wanted in return for me getting home, and I can't tell anyone, no matter what… It wants Elrond's ring. I'm not stupid, I know how bad of an idea it is. I have to convince the fae otherwise, or maybe I can trick it? _


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's note: Finals are over and life is being less demanding, though I'll be taking summer courses soon so I'm not sure how my updating schedule will look. Not to mention I slammed head first into a writer's block right when I reached the bottom of my well of prewritten chapters. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter and may edit it later, I just wanted to push through this one so I could move on with the story. I thank you guys for sticking with this fic and for all the feedback you give. **

**Special mentions of reviewers: Vaughn Tyler, Vanafindiel, Blonde Pickle Mule, Padme4000, Katie, FleurSuoh  
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><p>Eyes gleamed in the dark, shadows chased my heels. I fled from fear sliding through my skin and marrow; suffocate my soul with a heavy weight. My feet were concrete bound tight with rubber bands, no matter how hard I pumped my legs they wouldn't move as fast enough. Gnarled hands I couldn't see strangled my throat. Waves crashed against my waist, water climbing higher, pushing on my chest. Drowning, I clawed with sheer force of will to break the restraints pulling deeper and deeper downward.<p>

The darkness evaporated and I awoke with an angry snarl that died before it emitted a sound. Twinkling stars of Middle Earth greeted me in a grand visage and my first muddled thought was if Earth was somewhere up there. My second was to take a deep breath and roll over on my other side, pulling the blanketing jacket closer. No, not my jacket. This one felt rougher and smelled different. Rubbing my fingers along the tattered seems I concluded it was Kili's.

Lifting my head, I saw snoring dwarves lying just out of arms reach. Odd considering I typically had my own personal plague zone no one dared to enter when it came to sleeping arrangements. My head plopped back against my backpack.

Though the dwarves were nearby, I'd never felt so alone. If I had died yesterday no one would have known my fate. I would never have a chance to return home and those on Earth would think I fell off the face of the planet. Only the dwarves would have an inkling of where my existence had ended, I would have been ultimately forgotten in the grand scheme of things. I laid awake for hours, a slave to the rush of my thoughts until fatigue and darkness came for their due.

* * *

><p>"Get up you bare chins! The day's a wasting!" Bofur said, chipper.<p>

I curled into Kili's coat with a groan to block out the light and noise. My entire body ached like nobody's business and I was so stiff I wasn't sure if I _could_ move. I'd crushed my leg and arm between my rips and the oh-so-cushy rock bed and hadn't shifted since falling asleep. Now they were numb.

"You heard him. Uncle will leave you if you don't get a move on." I recognized Kili's voice before he ripped the coat away.

I covered my eyes and swatted at his giant foot. "Go away."

I don't know who's worse at getting up. You, or Fili."

Kili grabbed my arms and tugged me up, every inch of my body resisted with needling shocks of pain and I sucked in a sharp intake of breath. "Ow, ow, ow. Shit, stop!"

Kili let go as if burned. "I'm sorry! Is it an injury?" He panicked. "Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere," I groaned. "I feel like a giant bruise." One that had been pulled through a meat grinder then tossed into a washing machine before being hung out to dry.

Kili yelled behind him. "Oin! I think she needs your help." I sat up though it damn near killed me. My body was prickling a pincushion full of needles.

"I don't need any help." To prove my point I stood, though it made my head spin. I swallowed with a dry throat and saw most of the dwarves had already left, making their way down a trail wrapping under the side of the Carrock. Gandalf shepherded them from the top and I dreaded climbing down and wished the eagles would fly us to the base. Maybe I could find one and ask.

"Are you sure?" Kili trailed off.

"You don't look so well." Fili commented while walking up. "You're white as a dead man."

Kili shuffled out of the way, his face turning sour as he crossed his arms and put his back to Fili.

I made a _tched _sound through my teeth at the brothers_. _"That doesn't surprise me. A better question is why I slept with your smelly coat," I directed the last bit at Kili.

Kili started, flashing with hurt until he saw my half-hearted smirk. "If you hate it so much why did you pick it up on the mountain?"

"It was cold," I said snappier than I meant.

Kili was dubious. "It's summer."

"So?" I questioned abrasively.

Kili's grin was spreading and I was starting to fear what was churning in that brain of his. Speaking of churning, my stomach gurgled.

"Oh, breakfast!" Kili slung his pack from his shoulder and rummaged around in it. "Here. There's plenty more if you'd like. I managed to snatch the best cuts."

The string of meat he produced looked off, dried out, and not in the properly preserved way, and not in any way edible. "Has that been sitting out all night? Do you want to kill me?"

"Why do you always get so defensive? Is it so disgusting that it's not fresh?"

"I'm not defensive, it's common sense. You don't eat meat that's been left out unless you're a vulture. Bacteria accumulates on meat left out for an extended period and can cause food poisoning. Why do you think you cook it?"

"Because it tastes good," Kili replied automatically.

Fili made an irritated sound and swiped the venison and dangled it over his mouth. "If you won't, then I'll eat it."

I crossed my arms and he watched me out of the corner of his eyes. They might not know what bacteria is but surely they knew the meaning of food poisoning.

"Fine, poison yourself," I conceded. "Just don't whine to me when you're dying."

Fili handed the meat to Kili with a resigned scowl and Kili stared long and hard at the offending strip before tossing the spoiled food over the side of the Carrock.

"Would you prefer seeds? I have a sack of dried berries I've been saving," Fili offered and I blinked at the persistent generosity and the alien pressure building in my chest from the gesture.

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry." I couldn't ever tell if I was hungry anymore. My stomach shrank from the rationing and the less than tasty food. I hadn't eaten more than a meager bowl since the boar feast, and neither had the others. The hollow feeling in my gut was growing to be a customary state. Honestly, I wasn't sure if I could eat anything at the moment and keep it down.

Kili took what I said at face value. "Once we get a real meal you'll feel up to it."

* * *

><p>It took a long time to climb down the narrow path. My head spun, my eyes burned and itched, and my stomach was trying to claw its way out of my belly. I wish I had taken Fili up on his offer of dried fruit. The other dwarves were silent during the descent, only letting loose a few grunts as they clambered over loose rock and jumped over missing chunks of the path. When I could see the ground a few hundred feet below I had half a mind to jump off like a lemming.<p>

A hand pushed me back by my chest, indicating I must have leaned too far from the safety of the edge. Bifur muttered something in Khuzdul and I nodded in thanks. Focused on keeping one foot in front of the other, I prayed for flat ground.

Despite my many musing of what it would be like to jump, we reached the bottom. The dwarves fell in a heap, one after the other, huffing and clinging to solid ground. I stumbled and leaned against the rocks, thinking it was a perfect time to keel over and kiss the grass. I never wanted to see another mountain in my life.

"Get up. We can't afford to rest here." Thorin's voice hurt my head.

The dwarves clambered to their feet, grumbling and sighing. I would have protested, asking what's the hurry, but couldn't find the energy. A cold sweat was breaking out across my skin and my stomach was cramping. Desperate, I shouldered off my torn jacket to try and gain some relief from the hot-cold flashes. Doing so was wince worthy, the jacket tore at the cut across my arm and fabric stuck under my skin tore out of the forming scab, bleeding anew.

The angry red slice wasn't deep though I had a sinking feeling if I didn't treat the wound it would continue to tear open and end up infected. The more I tried to examine the cut, the lighter my head felt until the oozing wound was swimming out of focus.

"You're a right mess. Typical, no one ever comes to me when they _actually_ hurt themselves." Oin examined the cut with light palpations. "This will need wrapping and ointment."

No Oin, I couldn't have figured that out myself.

He frowned when I said nothing, though I mentally acknowledge the truth of his assessment.

"Sit down. I need a moment to treat this." I obeyed and might have opted for falling down if Oin hadn't forced me to sit slowly. "Were you cut with a goblin blade?"

"Yeah," I answered simply, remembering my suicide escape attempt from Goblin Town. How I lived through that, I'll never know.

"What's the problem?" Thorin walked over to see why we weren't following. He immediately noticed to cut.

"Another injury is all." Oin muttered, pulling out a cloth and an uncorking a foul smelling bottle emitting an odor of a decaying plants. "We need to find water. Those blasted birds brought food but no liquids. If we don't find some soon she won't be the only on the verge of fainting." He looked over at Ori who was white as a sheet. Dori hovered over him, fussing in his usual manner.

"Why are the trees dancing?" Ori dreamily wondered at the tall aspens and Thorin narrowed his eyes.

Dori put his hands on his hips. "Trees don't dance, don't look at me like that, drink you dwarfling," he said not unkindly.

"I resent that," I bit out at Thorin. "I'm not going to faint."

"Good, I would have to leave you here if you did. We don't have time for this with orcs so close, we'll tend to injuries later." Thorin said matter of fact.

It was always nice to see Thorin in a good mood.

Oin pulled out a waterskin. "If injuries are not tended to we'll have more problems than orcs," he said to Thorin and handed me the water. "Drink this and bite down on the nozzle if you need."

To distract my mind from the coming sting and the uncomfortable congregation of dwarves –why they felt the need to crowd around when someone was getting extra attention I'll never know - I tilted back the waterskin. When the first drop of water hit my tongue, I realized just how ravenously thirsty I was and proceeded to guzzle the rest. Oin applied the salve of plant material and water sloshed down my esophagus at the stinging sensation strong enough to rival hydrogen peroxide, initiating a lovely gag reflex and a coughing fit.

Kili elbowed Fili and Fili jumped forward, looking a bit shocked.

"Are you alright?" Fili asked robotically.

With tearing eyes I gave a thumbs up. "Awesome."

Ori copied the gesture, curiously turning over his thumb as Oin wrapped my wound with a strip of cloth.

"Where's Gandalf?" Bilbo blurted. He was swiveling around, looking off into the distance. For some strange reason I just now realized I hadn't seen the wizard since early this morning.

"Gone. Again." Thorin replied, disgruntled.

* * *

><p>A howl pierced the air and I stumbled into the very back I had been boring holes into, that back being Fili's. For the last few hours I had been entertaining the idea of getting a piggy back ride.<p>

"Get down." Thorin ordered and we ducked behind an outcrop. "Bilbo, look ahead and tell us how far they are from here and what direction they're moving."

Bilbo nodded nervously and left us to climb up the rocks. I thought he would hesitate or make an irritated comment.

I collapsed on the rocks after Bilbo left, wiping at my brow. I felt better than earlier, no longer on the verge of passing out, though I still didn't feel too great. Hearing wargs in the distance didn't raise the slightest alarm while feeling this way, they were far away and not a concern.

"Take these." A voice whispered in my ear.

I looked sharply up at FIli leaning so close I could smell his sweet pipe weed and dried sweat sticking to his clothes. My chest tightened with an uncanny twist.

"He reached into his coat and pulled out a knife from each side, spinning them so the hilts faced me. I stared at them stupidly, my mind stalled on an internal black void.

His grin widened and I snapped into action. "I don't have anywhere to put those," I hissed. I wouldn't know how to use them either. "And I still have one, remember?"

He switched to holding out only one knife. "Then hold them. It is better than no weapon if the orcs descend upon us."

I wanted to say I would probably stick someone's eye out or fall on one myself but took the offered knife because he was right and I didn't want to be defenseless. "Thanks."

He nodded warmly and retreated near Ori. The company lingered for maybe twenty minutes; the time easing the tension to the point Bombur was comfortable enough to start complaining about his empty stomach and sore feet. Bifur was next to him with a nervous twitch in his shoulders and Bofur was trying to convince Bombur they would catch a good meal tonight.

Fili was perched on the rocks, rebraiding his hair that had taken to looking like a wild animal. Fresh braids did a lot for his looks and I wondered if I should try copying him to tame my rat nest of hair, mustache hair excluded.

"Fili?"

The brother in question looked up at Kili's submissive approach with narrowed eyes.

Kili slouched. "I'm sorry I got angry with you yesterday. I was still in the grips of battle and I was frustrated."

To my surprise, Fili's eyes softened and he stood to give Kili a one arm hug. "I know brother. I'm sorry too. Thorin was right to say I was out of line."

I don't think I've ever seen someone forgive so quickly or easily.

I leaned back; scrapping my hand along pebble size loose rocks, and came upon something smooth and metallic. Curious, I scooped it up and brought it forward, and my throat stuck. In my palm was a pristine, thick golden ring, one I was intimately familiar with.

"_The Lord of the Rings,"_ I thought with disbelief.

If I put it on, would I see Sauron, would I be susceptible to its corruption? Oddly, I felt nothing while holding it. The ring looked like just another ugly piece of jewelry, was it inert? I remembered Sauron was still weak during The Hobbit, maybe the ring wasn't calling to anything yet.

I knew what the ring was and what had to be done with it and the ring knew it too. A horrible, pain splitting screech seared through my head like a knife sawing bone and with trembling fingers I dropped the ring. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I scooted over so no one else would spot the golden gleam in the dirt.

"What is this?" Dwalin asked sharply, sending a shockwave of pain shooting upward from my forehead, curling over my skull and down my spine with the force of his voice. He tugged the straps to Fili's back mounted sheaths, drawing the younger dwarf forward and downward so he could stretch for a better look.

"My swords?" Fili asked defensively.

Dwalin roughly let him go and his eyes were set hard on Fili. "Let me see them."

Fili cautiously drew one of the swords and handed it to Dwalin who turned the pommel face up and traced the symbol with his thumb, frowning.

"Thorin," Dwalin said oddly, drawing his friend's attention with his mere tone. "You'll want to see this."

Thorin approached with a readiness for bad news. "What is it?"

"What's wrong with them?" Kili asked, crowding next to Fili.

Thorin took the offered sword that Dwalin made sure the end of the Pommel would be the first thing he saw. Thorin went still as a rock. "This can't be. Where did you find this?" There was a barely noticeable tremor in his voice, so faint I might have imagined it.

Dwalin nodded at Fili and Thorin put two and two together. "These are the swords Megara gave you?"

"Yes. Do you want to tell me what's going on? Do you recognize the symbol on them?" Fili asked.

"I do." Thorin admitted solemnly. "They were Frerin's, your uncle's."

The dwarves shifted, eyeing each other and murmuring under their breaths.

Kili leaned closer. "Truly?

Balin, who had quietly listened in, scooted closer and Thorin moved so the elder dwarf could stand at his side.

Thorin carefully held the sword in both hands, running his thumb over the blade. Balin touched the hilt with his gloved hands, his eyes glistened. "He perished at Azanulbizar with your grandfather. It must be the will of Durin; they couldn't have fallen into more deserving hands."

"Agreed," Thorin said and looked at Fili. "You carry a precious heirloom. It seems it was no mistake when you exceled of duel combat." Thorin gave the sword back and Fili held it high, turning it so sunlight reflected off the blade.

Smiling with reverence, Fili raised his voice. "Then let it be known I will carry these blades in Frerin's name, they killed many an orc in his honor and may they cut down many more in the name of Durin!"

The others cheered, giving me a splitting headache, and Fili looked stupidly happy with himself. Talk about coincidences, who would have thought I'd find his dead relative's swords? I didn't even know he had a dead uncle. And weren't we trying to be quiet with orcs potentially around?

Kili ran over and for a second I thought he was going to barrel over my face and knock me to the ground. "Meg is the one who found them! She deserves a piece of the celebration!" He raised my hand high and I twisted out of his grip.

I hung my head, putting a hand over my forehead to put pressure on my right eye socket. "Kili, stop," I pleaded.

He dropped his grin. "Are you feeling alright?"

I closed my eyes and shook my head. Movement closed in from all sides and a hand squeezed my shoulder.

"What's wrong?" I recognized the tenor of Fili's voice despite being more focused on the loud ringing growing in my head and the sickly heat spreading across my face.

"I don't feel good." It was a testament to how shitty I felt that I didn't have the energy to deny it.

Calloused, hot flesh touched my forehead. "She's heated, think it's the sun?" Balin asked with open concern.

Heated was a strange way to say fevered. I shook my head, I wasn't overheated, it was somehow that damned ring.

"What did you see?" Thorin hissed and I jumped thinking he somehow knew about the ring and that if I wore it I would have seen something in its shadow world. It turned out he wasn't talking to me.

"They're close, too close. Maybe a hundred or more paces, heading north." Bilbo fidgeted with his fingers in his pocket and shook his head rapidly. "What on earth was with all that shouting, do you want to get us all caught?"

Thorin turned and eyed each of the company, lingered on me, and ignoring Bilbo's question.

"There was something else." Bilbo sputtered.

"What was it?" Thorin asked haggardly.

"A creature, I don't know what it was, it was-"

"Like a bear?" An all too familiar voice inquired.

"Y-yes. Gandalf! Yes, like a bear, but bigger. How did you know and where did you go?"

"I went to look at our path for we should have gone a great deal further had we not crossed the goblins. I know a place you should find food and rest, a house that we might be welcome in."

"Who's house?" Thorin interjected.

"The house of someone who protects these woods and dislikes orcs more than dwarves though he is easy to anger so you best leave the talking to me."

"Will he help us?"

"He will help us, or he will kill us."

"_Who's house?"_ I wanted to repeat though my voice failed to come out.

The dwarves followed Gandalf eagerly, ready to get moving. They were starting to depend too much on the wizard for direction. When Gandalf disappeared earlier there had been a heated debate on which direction to go, the final decision being Thorin's will to follow in a straight line toward Erebor. Before, I wanted to give the dwarves more credit to their smarts, not so much after that stunt. Not that I had much to contribute, I'd never gotten ahold of a map nor had I grown up in this world. I felt perfectly justified to let them figure out the route without once again piquing in with some useless idea like building a tree bridge.

Those crowding my space jumped to pick up thrown down supplies and Bilbo frantically patted the dirt, trying to remain inconspicuous. I kicked his leg and he nearly fell over, puffing his cheeks so his lips jutted out unattractively. I pointed at the ground near my boot and his features warped to hopeful curiosity. He took one quick look and spotted the ring, he swiped it into his pocket.

"Wouldn't want anyone knowing about this yet," Bilbo awkwardly laughed. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"It's not my problem," I said tightly. If there was one thing I was sure of, it was I had no business in dealing with the One Ring. The magic jewelry wasn't my jurisdiction and I had no desire to get involved with it.

"Yes-no, no it's not." He said quickly and scuttled off.

My head instantly filled with the absence of the ring and the hammering sensation dissipated almost completely, but I felt more tired than before, like I had just run a marathon. The reaction to the ring was too weird. There was no pull toward it. In fact, I wanted that piece of crap as far away from me as possible, as soon as possible.

Fili returned from gathering his things and offered his hand. I shrugged it off, opting to move under my own power. "I'll make it," I said through gritted teeth.

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><p>"There it is," Gandalf said at last.<p>

Standing in the tree line, I faced a large open meadow filled with a blooming variety of flowers. There birds colored in yellow and black stripes flying around them, creating a subtle buzzing sound. One of them flew up in my face and I realized it wasn't a bird at all. It was a giant bee.

"It's huge!" I squeaked and shuffled away from it, swatting viciously at the thing buzzing around my head. Fili jumped up and batted it away; sending the bee spiraling into the meadow where it stumbled around then flew into the air in frenzied circles.

"Don't-" Gandalf sighed. "Do not anger the animals here. Beorn treats them as his children and if you disrespect them you will find no shelter here."

"But the size of that bee, is this the Jurassic or are they on mega steroids?" I asked, flustered.

"What?" Nori barked in confusion. "Why don't we just skip this place and keep moving?"

Coughs and shifting eyes made it obvious no one was happy with the prospect of continuing on without proper food, shelter, and rest.

"You will thank me," Gandalf smiled.

"Does this guy have a shower?" I asked no one in particular and got the answer I expected, silence.

Or not so much silence. Fili picked up on my comment by saying, "I doubt this Beorn can conjure rain."

I quirked a small smile that was more of a twitch. "It's more like a manmade waterfall just for bathing."

"Hold on now, how is that even a gold coin's worth possible?"

My brewing reply was cut off by Bilbo who looked up and blanched. "B-b-b."

"Spit it out lad." Bofur put a hand on Bilbo's shoulder and his jaw dropped when he looked into the trees.

"Bear!" Bofur yelled, grabbing the back of Bilbo's shirt, dragging him backwards. "Bear!"

"Run you fools!" Gandalf took off through the meadow and I would have happily lain down and let the bear eat me – didn't bears leave you alone if you played dead?

The so called bear was hulking in size, bigger than a single warg. Its blue eyes flashed between the trees and it let out a great bellow, flashing its two inch yellow fangs. What is wrong with this planet? What the hell is in the air here?

"Oh, come on!" I rasped and would have been left behind if Thorin hadn't dragged me with him.

Across the distance was a log house wrapped in a tall fence with a vine covered arch. A loud crash and mad growl announced the bear breaking through the trees and I made the mistake of looking back to see the enormous animal galloping towards us like a furred canon ball.

Fili and Kili were fastest, speeding through cabin's front garden, and hit the solid door with enough force to rattle the frame.

"Quickly! Open the doors!" The uncanny panic in Gandalf's voice sent my adrenaline in overdrive and I sprinted into a clambering group of dwarves.

Thorin shoved his way to the front and flipped up the simple crossbar latch the dwarves were too flustered and too short to notice.

Bodies collapsed through the double doors like water breaking through a dam. Dwalin, Thorin, and Fili were in the process of closing the doors when the bear slammed into it, thrusting its enormous snout through the crack, snarling and spraying strings of saliva. It took four dwarves including Bombur to push back, nearly looing their heads in the process, and to hold the rattling doors long enough to latch them from the inside. The dwarves at the door fell back, heaving and fingering their weapons with twitching fingers.

"Just what is that bear?!" Bilbo wailed. "I may very well have never seen a bear but I know for a fact I've never read of them growing so large!"

"That, master Baggins, is our host." Gandalf supplied while straightening and pretending it wasn't so hard to breathe. Several shouts rose in angered confusion. Normally I would have put two and two together sooner and felt stupid for just now connecting the dots to what the bear was.

Then again, I didn't care if our host was a leprechaun. I just want to bathe then find somewhere to crawl up and die.

"While the bear is unpredictable, the man can be reasoned with. Rest here tonight knowing you will be safe from orcs and all other such foul beasts. Touch nothing for Beorn is a terrible enemy to have." Gandalf left us to stacks of hay in what looked like a barn attached to the living room the same way an open kitchen would be laid out. The entirety of the inside was like a large log cabin with high vaulted ceilings made cramped by all the dwarves.

There were donkeys and a horse staring at us from open stalls with their glassy eyes. Just great, more horse hair.

"The bear is a man? You mean he is a furrier?" Bilbo asked.

He did not just ask if Beorn was a furry, that murderous bear was not a person in some colorful animal costume.

"Don't say that word again, or any such similar while you are here. Beorn is a skin changer. Sometimes he takes the form of a bear and others that of a very tall man. You will do well to respect his animals for he cherishes them as his children," Gandalf lectured.

Beorn sounded like a crazed weirdo and I did not want to sleep in his house. I would rather face the orcs out in the open than wake up in a stinking stable to a drooling bear, or an incredibly crazed looking man holding a machete. What if he was cursed like a werewolf? Would he end up killing one of the dwarves or turn one of them into a werebear? My knowledge of The Hobbit was spent; anything could happen at this point. The book was a formulaic story, so overall the quest had to work out, but at what cost?

The other dwarves didn't seem to share my worries and were already burying themselves in the hay. Bombur snored next to Bofur who drug his arm through the straw to build a pillow under Bombur's head. Nori and Ori were digging out a spot for themselves, and Nori was how arguing Ori should hunker down behind him away from the entrance for no other reason than Nori told him to an Ori should just comply. The only ones lingering by the door were Dwalin, Balin, and Thorin.

Standing close to the wall, I felt an overwhelming need to be alone like I always was in my apartment. The atmosphere shifted on my right.

"You should lie down. You still don't appear to be faring well," Fili offered in a sweet tone.

"Not really," I answered vaguely, hyper aware of a thick mental cloud muddling my thoughts. I let him guide me with his hand at my back to an open spot against the wall.

* * *

><p>I had multiple nightmares that night, though I couldn't remember what any of them were about, save one. I was running from something, and silver flashed out of the dark. Halting from the force of a gust of wind, I looked down at a sword hilt stuck out of my stomach and panic bubbled up despite not being able to feel the pain – I opened my mouth, felt a rush of water drain down my throat, and screamed silently<p>

In a rush my body convulsed and I awoke to a creaking door. A heavy huff like that from an bull l and the scuffling of bare feet on wood echoed in the cabin. The footsteps stopped the night was permeated with deep breaths. I felt of a pair watchful eyes surveying the dwarves and my general vicinity which made my already racing heart squeeze painfully. I held my breath. The shuffling started again and faded into another room. Stillness reigned and the silence pounded in my ears. Not even the snoring dwarves could drive away the terror that had gripped me and I wanted blanket to throw over my head like a small child afraid of the monster under the bed. I curled up tighter while my mind raced through insecure thoughts about what was to come.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's note: Holy crud it's been a long time since I updated. I've extremely busy with school and stressing out over it. No matter how long I've been gone, I still read every review I receive. Thank you all for your support. I wanted to post this next chapter before the movie came out but it was not meant to be. I saw it, and I won't spoil it right now, but I'll just say I needed this chapter after that…**

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><p>A rumbling, satisfied belch and boots creaking over loose floorboards pulled me from a deep sleep. I sat up, bleary eyed and covered in hay. Bodies moved back and forth, congregating about a long, hand carved table that dominated the main room of Beorn's cabin. The table benches were short enough for Bilbo and wide enough for two neatly stacked rows dwarves.<p>

Fresh bread permeated the air, sweet and thick. Heat popped off a fire pit that had not ben lit the night before. A large man was bent over next to the pit, tending a clay oven. He wore nothing but a pair of cotton trousers, exposing his muscled upper body covered in thick, dark curling hair. The hair on his head stuck out in every direction creating great plums like furred cheeks of a wild beast such as a dog…or a bear.

He couldn't be anyone but Beorn and he didn't look half as intimidating as I imagined. He wasn't sneering or squaring his shoulders. His profile was drawn and thoughtful. He wasn't half bad looking, honestly, though not my taste at all.

Thorin and Gloin who were smoking near the fire, creating gray, wispy rings that floated up and out of the hole at the center of the ceiling. Gandalf stood near Beorn, chewing on an unlit pipe, lost in some musing.

My head still felt stuffy and my skin was coarse with grime. I could usually splash my face with water to rid it of oils. That luxury was lost ever since the water supply was taken by the goblins.

The smell of food was compelling enough that I got up. I combed down my hair with my fingers and dropped into a seat next to Bofur, across from Fili and Kili. A plate –which was more like a platter in size - overflowing with bread and fruit slathered in honey was dropped before me.

"Here you are lass. You look like you could use a good meal." Bofur tipped his head and smiled encouragingly.

"It is a good time for a feast!" Kili said boisterously.

"I think you mean good morning," I said dully. No one in their right mind woke up wanting to gorge themselves.

Kili stretched his neck toward the ceiling, craning to see the vent allowing sunlight to pour into the cabin and vent fire smoke. "I suppose it is."

I couldn't tell if he was being serious or not and wanted to shake him. "You take everything too literally."

The fork I picked up was two sizes too big and sat clumsily in my fist since I couldn't hold it like a normal person. The food looked okay despite my stomach churning unpleasantly at the thought of cramming so much into it.

"You feeling all right?" Fili sounded tired and his voice was low as if he didn't want the whole table to hear his concern.

I nodded without looking up at Fili and shoved a reddish fruit that looked like a type of tangerine dripping in honey in my mouth. I was almost knocked over by the sweetness.

"It's sweet," I hacked then puckered my lips at the development of a tart aftertaste. After eating nothing but bland beans, vegetables, and sausage for months, it was too much.

Bofur laughed and nudged my arm. "Don't like sweet things lass?"

I shook my head and pushed the food away.

"Come on now, eat some of it," Kili pestered. "Look. If you spread the honey on the bread it's like a thick sauce. It's sweet but not as strongly as the fruit."

I mimicked the way he spread honey over his bread and took a bite. It was more tolerable than the fruit but I still couldn't help making a face. It just didn't taste right. I opted for scraping honey off the fruit.

Being wishful and not entirely serious, I asked, "Is there anywhere I can get a bath around here?" It was the only thing on my mind even when giant mugs of milk and more food were pushed in front of me by dwarves. Somehow most of the food had traveled down to my end of the table.

"There is a river east of here that is clean and good for washing if you wish." Beorn was setting down another plate of bread when his eyes shot over to my seat which was now almost hidden by my own lonely mountain of food.

My eyes lit up. "Do you maybe have soap?"

Gloin glared at me pointedly from across the table and Bofur coughed and nudged my shoulder. _"What?" _I mouthed.

Unaware of the silent exchange, Beorn said, "Aye, give me a moment."

I squirmed in my chair, ready to leap off it. "Thank you," I said with hope.

Beorn was gone then came back after I had stuffed a couple more bites into my dry mouth to test the limits of my stomach. Beorn came back and stooped low, handing me a rag wrapped around a small clump. "Your folk are welcome in my home, do not fear for orcs while you are here."

I thanked Beorn almost to the point of bowing before bolting from my seat and towards the door.

"Megara, where are you going?" My shoulders went up to my ears and it took all of my willpower to turn around and face Thorin who had moved from his place by the fire. Gloin stood behind him, watching silently.

"The river." He looked me over with those silent, steely eyes of his. I glared back, knowing what was coming.

"Take someone with you." It seemed he was going to be forever paranoid.

Bolting out the door before he could assign anyone sounded like a good plan. "I can do it myself. I'm an adult." That sounded better in my head.

"A accompany will be sent, regardless."

Something inside me started to boil. "I'll be fine." I ground out.

"You do not trust my word?" Beorn growled while holding a basket of bread.

"I'll take her." Kili jumped out of his chair and took hold of my arm above the elbow. He looked up at Beorn. "Uncle means no harm by it. We just came out of a mountain infested with orcs. It's natural to stick together."

"I want to go alone," I stressed. Kili merely grinned.

Slightly less offended, Beorn made a sound of satisfaction. "There is safety in numbers. The animals here know to watch for your company, and for orcs. You will not be alone."

Thorin gave us a once over before nodding. "Behave yourself," he said to Kili.

My nose cringed. "Don't worry, if he so much as peaks I'll shove his boot so far up his ass he'll be choking on it."

Dori's face began silently contorting while the other dwarves either choked on their food, suddenly pretended to be occupied elsewhere, or were silently laughing.

Beorn let out a deep rumbling laugh and set his bread on the table. "You bring interesting company, wizard. Keep this up and I may begin to like your friends, even if it is only one that brings intrigue."

Gandalf hovered the tip of his pipe in front of his lips. "There is never a dull moment."

Suddenly feeling I was coming off ungrateful, I said to Beorn, "Thank you for breakfast."

"And they have manners that are to the point and not filled with verbose and fake grandeur," Beorn bolstered. "You are welcome, my lady."

My face went red and Kili pushed me out the door, whispering through gritted teeth. "On our way then."

Fili slammed his mug that was made for someone twice his size, namely Beorn. The milk inside sloshed and the frothing white liquid nearly flew onto the table. "Hold on a minute."

Before I could come up with a proper protest, Kili guided me out the door and shut it behind us.

On the other side I got a good look at Beorn's front garden overflowing with greenery and flowers that came up to my waist. The surrounding fence had vines weaving through them and one wall had a collection of red roses. Buzzing around them were the giant bees. I dodged away from one coming at my face, squealing, and Kili laughed, chasing after me as I bolted for the exit.

Kili had to run to keep up with my fast strides and wouldn't stop poking fun at me for 'screaming like a girl'. If he knew what would happen to people allergic to bees when they were stung by something that size, he wouldn't be laughing. I ignored him and went the way Beorn told me until I came to a river that I almost jumped into with all my clothes on. At the bank I started stripping, throwing everything into a pile.

"At least wait until I'm not looking!" Kili shouted in embarrassment and turned his back. "You're not allowed to injure me if you take off your clothes right before my eyes!"

"I'm not taking everything off." I said distracted. When all my clothes were piled to one side except my underwear, I approached the water and was gripped with a wave of uncertainty that had me swaying back.

The river was shallow enough that I could see the pebbles and mud at the bottom. Leaves were being whisked away by the soft current and I was hit by a double bought of déjà vu. One from the night I saved Fili, and one from my nightmare.

"Are you, ah, faring well, my lady?" Kili asked when I hesitated too long.

"The river," I muttered in embarrassment and was unable explain further without sounding like an idiot.

"What about it?" Kili asked in concern when I didn't snap at his calling me a lady.

"Nothing," I said harshly, hoping my tone would deter him from prodding.

"It's not nothing." He then said softer than he had a right to, "There's no reason to be afraid."

Anger bubbled up in my chest. He sounded as if he were talking to a wounded animal and it disgusted me. There was nothing wrong with the water, or my disposition with it. "Leave it alone, Kili."

He wouldn't leave it alone. "I once fell in a river myself and nearly drowned." He said and I couldn't help but turn and look at his back. Kili had his arms crossed and he was balancing his wait on one foot, shifting it ever so often. "Dwarves were never meant to swim, we sink, you know. We weren't built for water. Fili managed to pull me out. He was the only one who bothered to learn how to swim when we were dwarflings."

I vaguely remembered Fili picking on Kili about some incident that night by the swelling river. This must have been what they were talking about. I hadn't bothered to pry though I felt out of the loop when they spoke of it, as I often did.

"Swimming is easy," I told him. "Fighting a rapid current is not." I wasn't afraid of the water. That would be ridiculous.

I put my toes in the stream and the ghost of remembrance of tentacles wrapped around my legs, dragging me down, and that voice…I shivered.

"Right, and there's no current. So. Get. In," he coaxed. "Or will I have to push you in?"

The loose rock by my foot was a tempting throwing object. "You wouldn't dare."

"Here I come," he said creepily and slowly started to turn.

"You better not!" I threatened him with my tone. "I'll take you down with me and make sure you choke on mud!"

I struck the water with my foot, stomping the mud at the bottom of the river, making a loud splash. Kili stopped his slow clockwork turn and laughed into the woods.

Stepping into the shallow river, I screeched at the cold water but refused to get out.

"You alright?" Kili asked with real worry but still didn't turn around.

"It's bitch cold." I replied.

"You have a fouler mouth than a goblin when you choose to."

"Why would you care?" I scrubbed viciously at the dirt clinging stubbornly to my pores with the bar of soap.

"I admit it makes me a tad uncomfortable. Some dwarves I know would be put to shame by your outbursts at times. Not that your swearing is bad! It's…different."

I hadn't cussed much lately, out loud, and I equated it to how little the dwarves flung about blunt insults. They usually made a game of tactful jibes rather than outright cursing. They normally saved their dwarvish curses for their enemies that were about to lose their heads. At least five times a day I caught someone mumbling profanities under their breath in khuzdul. And though I didn't know a lick of their language, I had a pretty good idea about what they were saying. Some things were universal.

"Sorry. I'm used to being around people who cuss a lot. I don't mean what I say, it's all just expressions."

I scrubbed my legs with soap, lamenting how smooth they used to be. The hairs on my legs and pits were disgusting yet interesting. I never knew how much a female's leg hair could grow. I could check that curiosity off my list, now where's the razor?

Kili leaned his back against a tree. "You'll be glad to know no one takes your jabs seriously anymore."

Instantly, I perked up. _"Anymore?" I thought with _trepidation_._

"Once you called Fili a bastard and he ranted for days. He demanded to know what impression he gave off that signaled he wasn't a legitimate heir. He was rather angry at himself. And at you."

Shame burned through cheeks and it felt like a rock had fallen on my chest. "Seriously? I thought he got the joke." He hadn't shown any indication that he was angry at me. I had no idea. Some friend I was. Now I felt like a shitty bottom feeder. "I didn't know he was angry...hurt by it"

"It would be kinder if you didn't question his right or ability to rule." Kili was deathly serious.

Soap dripped from my skin and washed down the river. "I keep forgetting he's a prince. The whole king idea is weird, honestly." I then backtracked after realizing how that might sound. "Not because Fili doesn't look like king material, it's just…kings don't exist where I come from. At least not anymore."

"Come now, no one forgets when one is supposed to be a king! What kind of mad place doesn't have a ruler? What happened to yours?"

I switched to scrubbing out my hair. "I actually do forget. It's weird to think about, it doesn't compute. And there _are_ other systems of government, you know. A long time ago my country broke from another one that had a king. Mine didn't like being ruled by someone from across the sea. The rest is a lot of history."

Kili sounded like a horse with hay stuck up its nose. "I'll pass on the politics."

I dunked my head under the water and scratched at my scalp with Beorn's soap to get rid of the accumulated oils.

"You seem to fancy my brother," Kili said out of the blue.

I slipped on a rock and my head nearly submerged in the water. I sputtered, "What?!...are you talking about?" I splashed loudly while flaying to righting myself.

"Fili, you like him, don't you?" Kili asked stonily. There was no hint of a jest.

A mental image of Fili filled my mind's eye. His long hair and quirky smile that raised the braids framing his lips. "He's not half bad looking-" My chest clenched and I went red in the face, the words had come out on their own. "But what are you talking about all of a sudden?"

"So you do fancy him." I could hear the mischief in Kili's voice and I didn't like it one bit.

"You're imagining things," I scoffed. There was no way I was into his brother – we weren't from the same world, we weren't even the same race.

"Am I? If I recall you've been staring at my brother quite a lot lately."

"Have not!" I barked. "Shut up Kili!" He was laughing, laughing!

Completely serious, he asked, "Do you want some help?"

"Who needs help taking a bath, pervert."

"I mean with my brother."

The world spun and I forgot all about the freezing water snapping at my waist.

"What?!" I screeched. "Oh my GOD Kili. Go away!"

"Thorin would be angry if I left a defenseless companion bathing in the middle of the woods. And what would I do with poor Fili if I couldn't tell him how you felt?"

"Kili, when I get out of here I'm going to kill you!" I snarled and scrubbed the soap out of my hair with renewed vigor. I was burning, everything felt hot, and my head was suddenly clearer than it had been in days. "Don't you dare say _anything_!"

He clasped his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky. I could just imagine him laughing silently. I finished scrubbing and reluctantly put my dirty clothes back on. I would wash them later, right now I had a dwarf to kill.

"Kili!" I wailed while tugging on my pants and throwing on my boots. The clothes caught and resisted being pulled over wet skin, further fueling my flustered anger.

He spun around, grinning like the smuggest, soon-to-be-dead idiot I had ever seen. He took off through the trees and I chased after him like a bull hell bent on chasing down a red flag, only I was running down a flapping, long dark cloak. The bastard was faster than me despite being shorter. By the time Beorn's house came into view Kili was nowhere in sight. Several of the dwarves were swinging swords out front or relaxing by smoking their pipes.

I hesitated at the tree line and fixed my clothes that were sticking and not sitting right. It would look insane if I burst into the clearing. I did not want to draw more attention to Kili's idiocy than necessary. So long as he wasn't a tattle, I should be okay. Maybe he was simply making an ass out of himself for amusement at my expense. Why, of all things, did he ask me _that? _I need to find a place to cool off.

Finding a spot in the sun to dry at the opposite side of the house, I fiddled my phone, flipping it over and over in my hands. Nervously rubbing my fingers along the seams. I hadn't turned it on since the first day I arrived in Middle Earth. Tempting as it was to listen to the music on it, I was afraid to turn it on and find it dead.

Finding a way to charge it would be impossible so it was turning out to be nothing more than a sympathetic hunk of junk that was cumbersome to lug around. Sucking in a breath, I decided to turn it on and get over it being dead already, or kill the battery then be done with it. Maybe I could smash it into an orc's temple give it a proper send off.

A bright logo flashed and the smart phone blinked to life, pulling up the user menu. There was fifteen percent battery left. For a minute, all I could was stare at the screen. Deciding what to do on it was like deciding the last moments of my life. Clicking a random button, pictures flew onto the screen, cascading images from the life I came from. The photos were mostly of my dog, some miss shots of blurry floors, a picture of a plant, and a snapshot of teacher notes on a dry erase board.

Maybe I could use this to make memories instead of sulking away the last of the battery life on listening to music. I strained a grin.

The dwarves acted normal upon my reemergence, giving no indication that Kili had made a fuss. Surely I would have been swarmed with questions if he had. Maybe I could forgive him if he told no one. Maybe.

The first dwarves I took a picture of was Ori and Dori. They were confused when I asked them to look at my black box and smile, but they humored me. When I showed them what I had done Dori went ballistic and muttered about elven magic. Nori was more intrigued than a monkey being shown a banana for the first time.

Prying away from them, I snapped discrete shots of the others. I doubted Dwalin or Thorin would be as open to camera technology and be even less obliged to stand still and smile for two seconds. I caught them lounging and talking and figured that would be good enough. It was quite proud of my photography for that photo in particular. I captured a profile shot of Thorin looking up to the sky just after he blew a smoke ring and Dwalin was looking out across the fields. They were more relaxed than I had ever seen them.

My phone was blinking at 5% and I still had two more dwarves to find.

"It wouldn't be impossible, there are legends that it's happened before, within Durin's line, no less."

"It wouldn't work, it's impossible. I told you to stop perusing the idea, it's never going to happen."

Raising my phone up, I turned on the flash and crept around the side of Beorn's cabin. Wouldn't they just love being blinded by twenty first century technology? I could see the stupid looks on their faces now. I leaned around the corner and held the phone close. I lightly pressed the button and the camera focused.

"You can't possibly mean what you say! Fili, with all due seriousness, how do you feel?"

"I like Meg, a lot, alright!"

_Flash._

Both brothers drew their swords, crouching with pupils dilated and nostrils flaring. What they were met was not an attack, but me staring stupidly like a deer caught in headlights. The brothers' faces morphed into astonishment and Fili looked pained.

Kili coughed. "That wasn't how I expected this to happen."

Blood rushed past my ears and I bolted.

"Wait! Meg! Megara!" Fili's pleas fueled my legs to run faster through the trees.

This wasn't right, there was no way anyone liked me, let alone Fili. No, not right. This was wrong, wrong, wrong. I hurdled through the pines and nearly barreled into the river. A flash of memory of the rapids so long ago roared in my mind's eye and my heart stuck itself on a rib. Loud cracks sent panic shooting up my spine. I was frozen when Fili, huffing from the run, halted with a stagger and stared back just as still and uncertain.

_He ran after me? Shit. _

"Please, hear me out," he said carefully, waving his hand downward in a 'stay' motion as if he were approaching a spooked horse. "What you heard, it was not proper, it was merely a due process of thought. Nothing I said holds any form of obligation. If you were offended, I apologize. And if you never want to speak of this again, I will not mention it." Fili stopped a few feet away, his shoulders hunched up and his blue eyes were wide with fright.

Kili put him up to this, I was sure of it. That weird conversation from earlier was him constructing this scheme. He made quick work of it, too. Both of them were godamn idiots.

"Why would you say something like that?" I asked and my voice wavered.

Fili sucked in a breath. "It is so you can…ignore it if it pleases you. I do not mean to be cavalier…"

"I'm talking about in the trees when you were talking to Kili, what you said. And why are you talking so formally all of a sudden?"

"I-" Fili sighed and placed his hand at his belt, looking both ways like a criminal sneaking drugs, and pulled out a pouch with strings that, now loose, slid readily off his waist. I watched cautiously, ready for a verbal slap to the face and admittance to the bad joke.

He held the leather string drawn pouch in his palm and coaxed the top of it open. "I do not know if you will accept, but as a son of Durin and in direct line to the throne," Fili halted mid speech and pulled something out from the pouch with the tip of his fingers and curled it into his palm, hiding it. He approached and I took a step back.

What was the idiot up to? If he tried to draw whatever this was out and not tell me this was all just a joke, I silently promised to lite his mustache braids on fire and steal Kili's pants to hang up a tree the next time took a bath. Maybe putting frogs or horse manure in their boots while they slept would be more satisfying.

Fili stopped not an arm's length away and held out his downturned fist. He bowed and flipped his hand up, presenting a slim silver clip identical to the cylindrical ones he wore in his hair. They bore his insignia and was scratched from use. The metal was just new enough to catch the sunlight and reflect it back.

"Will you allow Fili, son of Dis, son of Thror, court the Lady Megara from another realm?" He swallowed hard, not daring to look up.

My head turned light and my stomach clenched. Sweat broke out on my palms and my limbs started shaking.

"You're not serious, aren't you?" My voice warbled, destroying the ridicule I tried to convey. "Is this a joke? How can you suddenly like some random chick? You said it yourself, I'm not from this world."

Fili raised his head and the open hurt contorting his face made my heart sink. He couldn't be serious, there was no way this wasn't a joke. He was, he was, some person, I don't know. I wanted a stray bullet to hit me in the head or a boulder to suddenly fall out of the sky and obliterate my existence from this plane.

"It is not sudden, I assure you," his voice was no longer calm, it shook and the corner of his mouth started to tick, scrunching wrinkles on one side of his nose. "For some time now I have been thinking about you, and I can't stop. I've tried to make my thoughts known without saying them, but you've never reciprocated."

My brow furrowed in confusion, there wasn't a single time I could think of where he showed any form of interest in my person.

"I thought you might not feel the same, or were not interested. I tried to forget about it but it was impossible when I was forced to see you every day. Particularly when you were ripped out of my hands in battle not once but three times." He swallowed again, making his addams apple bob and his fingers holding the clip twitched while his other hand uneasily fisted open and closed at his side.

"Those times when you disappeared and I thought you would never be seen alive again…It made me realize I-I have a desire to court you."

Goblin Town and all the pushing and shoving and the times I was separated from the dwarves. I thought I would die, too, but that didn't mean I formed sudden attachments because of it.

"You want to…date me?" I asked, unsure of the exact definition of courting in this world.

Now he looked utterly confused.

"Go out?" I tried again and received the same blank stare. "Um, go to restaurants and have longs walks by the beach, just the two of us kind of thing?" Of course he wouldn't know what restaurants were, I doubted there was a Mexican diner anywhere around these parts. Man, I wanted tacos and fajitas. Focus stupid.

"I'm afraid I don't know you world's customs. Courting…" He looked down at his feet. "Courting is done by two parties and can be initiated by either. Rituals are different among races. The general propriety is to exchange gifts to impress the other…potential…partner." His head sank so far beneath his chest I couldn't see his face though I could feel mine turning beat red and I hated myself for making him spell out what we both knew.

He was taking the time to explain, whether he knew I was being obtuse or truly confused, without blowing a gasket like I probably would have if our situation were reversed.

"Wh-why would you want to court me?" I asked and felt tears stinging my eyes for absolutely no reason. I wanted to turn and run away even if it meant plunging head first into a river with evil fae.

Fili's voice was so muffled I almost didn't hear what he said next. "You are different from any other I've met. I don't know how to explain it, I don't know if it can be explained. Please, take the gift or don't. You do not have to decide right away, if at all." His voice was close to cracking, he would probably turn tail any second, and I panicked.

Only once had I ever been approached by a guy. Back in high school a boy I saw once at a club with dark hair and a crooked nose wanted to take me out to dinner. I didn't understand why, though I said yes out of curiosity. He was mostly silent while sitting across from me in the little burger place he choose. Sometimes I would ask something and he would reply curtly. I would answer his questions the same way while picking at a wilted salad. After that experience I never wanted to go out again. Never in my life had I felt more awkward and uncomfortable. He didn't call back so the feeling must have been mutual.

Yet, this time was different. I knew Fili, at least a little, and I thought he was attractive unlike the other guy. _Don't be stupid, you shouldn't like a guy for his looks. _Though I couldn't help be drawn to them…Fili also wasn't some random kid in high school, I owed him my life. Hadn't I jumped into a raging river to save his heavy butt? He was my friend…

Swallowing a mouth full of spit, I reached out with a trembling hand and laid it flat over his palm, feeling the bump of the metal and the heated sweat of his hand. Fili looked up so sharply that I jumped back and broke contact. His blue eyes bore into mine and I swore the fringes of my vision were turning white. I smiled nervously, baring my teeth.

"I've always kind of liked you too." My voice cracked so badly I wasn't sure if he would hear what I said and I felt like an utter fool for how stupid and meek I sounded.

He took a jerky step forward and held the clip out again. "Then, you accept?"

I shuddered and thought, "_Fuck it, what do I have to lose?" _and plucked the clip out of his palm as if retrieving it from a hot lava bed. "I accept, if you want to date, or court. Or, yeah."

A chunk of tension Fili wore melted away and he smiled broadly, more confidently. He bowed again, this time sweeping an arm under his stomach. "I hope you will accept this humble token of my thoughts. I do not have much now but when the mountain is reclaimed you will receive much more befitting gifts. I will properly court you once the quest is fulfilled."

_Oh, shit, what? Did I just agree to live in Erebor?_ I defaulted on my nervous habit to play with the ring on my finger.

"Um, am I supposed to give you something? I-oh" It dawned on me. I looked at the thin ring I wore. It wasn't big enough to fit a guy, let alone a dwarf's finger, but maybe he could do something else with it. What the hell was I thinking? It was one of the very few items I had left from home. One of three, actually, when including my phone and necklace. Was I really willing to part with it?

After a brief hesitation, I took my ring off and felt as if I were tearing away a part of my soul. "I'm not very good at this. But…will you-accept this?"

Fili's eyes shifted from mine to the ring. "You have already done much for me in the way of giving. I will accept this last gif as a token of your feelings. I will guard it with my life." He gingerly took the small white-gold ring with a single citrine stone fitted in the center.

I thought he was being a little melodramatic over a ring.

He closed his fist around the ring and kissed his knuckles then put it against his heart with his eyes closed. Placing it in his drawstring pouch, he tightly closed the string around it. wondered if I was supposed to kiss the hair clip, or kiss him. Oh god, what if he expected me to kiss him?

"Um, Fili?" My damned voice was still shaking. "How do I put this on?" I showed the clip and he stared vacantly at it for a second as though his brain had stalled. He smiling after a quick reboot.

"If you'll sit down for a minute I'll tie it in." He waved toward a spot under a tree and I obeyed robotically.

Stiffly, I sat and he took up a spot extremely close to my right. I could feel the heat rolling off his body as he reached over and took the hair piece from my open palm. I felt like a shaken bottle of coke mixed with Mentos with the cap still screwed on tight. All of my insides were bubbling and screaming for some kind of release, like shooting into the air and exploding. What was I supposed to do? How did these things work? Should I say something?

Fili combed his fingers through my hair and a jolt of electricity went up my spine. I jerked under the force of a nervous tick, surprised at my own violent reaction.

"Did I hurt you?" He sounded ridiculously sincere in his worry.

"N-no," I promised, and it was about all the verbiage I could produce.

He continued to menstruate my insanely messed hair that, despite its unruly look, I actually brushed every day. The elves were kind enough to give me some necessities, some I was seriously in their debt for.

Fili twisted my strands of wavy brown hair, forming a thin braid. He worked silently, fully content with taking his time. I could feel his hands shaking. He was forced to undo and restart steps every now and then. I didn't dare say a word about it. When he reached the ends of my hair, he wound it through the silver hair piece and tied it in.

Fili held the clip in his fingers, studying it intently, or more likely he was lost in some thought and not actually seeing what was before him. I waited for him to say something, anything while I bore holes in his pant leg that was stretched out next to me and warm against my hip. My face felt on fire and I wasn't sure if I could look up without doing or saying something stupid.

He let go of the braid, letting it fall over my shoulder, and tentatively brushed my draping curls that were a frizzed mess. He slid his hand through my hair and touched my cheekbone. I jolted and looked up at his blazing, intelligent eyes. He rubbed my cheek with his thumb, slowly, and my heart hammered so hard against my rib cage that I thought it would rip right out, or I would have a heart attack. He leaned forward, sliding his hand to the back of my head. His other hand found my hands that I had clasped in a vice grip in my lap. He encased them both in one enormous hand.

My throat clenched and I wasn't sure if I should lean forward, push him away, run in circles, or scream bloody murder. How was a person supposed to kiss, this would be my first one. Ever. Did I want it to be taken from him? Since when did I care who I gave my first kiss to? This is NOT happening.

The hairs of Fili's beard and mustache tickled my face and before I could make up my paralyzed mind, his lips were on mine. I sucked in a breath at the alien contact which made me breathe in his scent. His lips were slightly cracked from the sun. They were warm and pliable. With his coaxing I returned it without thinking. He released my hands and splayed his fingers on my back. Gently, he pulled me towards him and I turned to face him better. He deepened the kiss and I felt a spreading warmth coursing through my core and climbing down toward my stomach.

Eventually we both needed oxygen and he released my lips, gasping. He looked in my eyes and I felt like I was being judged by a powerful creature. Was this what it felt like to be drunk? I wasn't sure if I was sober since my head was spinning so fast. He rubbed the back of my head and pulled me all the way forward so my head was against his chest. Oddly, I didn't feel as uncomfortable about his proximity as I did before the kiss. He held me tight, rubbing my back and tucking my head under his chin. His embrace was impossibly warm, broad, and comfortable.

I closed my eyes and tried to process what I was doing, but couldn't form words or a coherent understanding of what I thought about everything. After several minutes, or maybe half an hour, Fili relaxed his hold and leaned back against the tree, pulling me with him. I felt all but a sliver of tension in my body wash away.

"I promise you won't be taken by any foul beast ever again."

He was still on about the orc thing? That was the only thing he could think of to say? What was I expecting him to be thinking about?

"I managed to make it out by myself," I felt the need to point out.

His arms that were wrapped around my middle tightened and he curled over me. The hot sensation in my chest bloomed anew, blazing like a furnace. I wasn't sure if I was embarrassed or what. The name to the intense ball of emotion eluded me.

"That time I watched you fall off the bridge, you shouldn't have been separated from the company. You were in the middle, we all made sure you were safe as possible, and yet you were still taken away. Before then and at the time, we all feared the worst. A fate worse than death."

I wanted to say he was smothering me and to stop it, but couldn't form the words. It surprised me that the dwarves would have done such a thing. I remembered being suffocated by a mob of them. The mosh pit of dwarves seemed a natural reaction of wanting to stick close to familiar faces while wading through a sea of enemies. I wasn't the only one in the middle. Ori had been squished in as well. What was their reasoning?

"What do you mean…worse?" I barely registered the worse question and was more focused on the realization of how the dwarves had been protecting me. I hadn't been doing a very good job defending myself. Maybe that was it. I had been a liability. I need to fix that.

Fili shook his head, scratching his beard on my scalp. "It doesn't matter. You'll never have to know because I will never let it happen."

Obstinate, I said, "I can take care of myself." I cringed at how it sounded coming out. It would be better if I never opened my mouth again.

Fili breathed in through his nose. "I have come to realize that." There was a hanging, _but I'm still uncomfortable about how far that will get you,_ left in the silence. I was unhappy about the lack of confidence, but in this world, he was right. I was still too green when it came to fighting and war. Elves and trolls and goblins were still a bit beyond me as well. I was only starting to get comfortable with the idea of dwarves.

We were quiet for a while longer, and the more time that passed, the more the butterflies in my stomach settled. I rested my hands on his leather covered arms, tracing my finger along his vambrace. His arms were so large that I couldn't warp my fingers around them. He wasn't body builder large, but he was much wider than human males, like his bones were built thicker and wider. I remembered the time I saw Thorin shirtless and wondered what Fili would look like without one. I internally choked on the mental image and tossed it out of my mind. It was _way_ too early to be thinking about that sort of thing. I also just realized I agreed to date a different species. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

I was glad Fili didn't want to immediately start talking about everything. I knew some things would have to be confronted sooner or later and it hovered like a gauntlet. The sun was already starting to sink, blazing its late afternoon rays through the canopy, reflecting off the river that gurgled as its waters churned over pebbles.

One of Fili's long braids was hanging near my nose. I absently picked at the loose, frayed ends.

"We should return to Beorn's homestead," Fili said. I felt his voice vibrate against my shoulder and it was oddly lulling. "Kili has probably been stalling if no one's come looking yet. I doubt he's having an easy time of it." There was a spark of humor in his voice.

"Kili," I said accusingly, "was trying to stir things up. It's his own fault if he can't handle it."

Fili sighed. "I admit he's been pushing for me to approach you for a while now. I've just been too…I thought you had no interest."

I went beat red all over again.

"I can't remember if you were throwing signals at me. You would have to put a sword through my face before I noticed, or say something outright…" It slowly dawned on me how stupid and oblivious I had been. All the little things were suddenly magnified. The troll horde gifts, all the comments poking fun at me in good humor…I wondered when he started seeing me as more than a friend, or did he always think that way? I wasn't used to people being interested in me and especially not me being interested back. I couldn't say I was infatuated or loved him, I couldn't figure out how to put the way I actually felt into words.

"It's a good thing it didn't come to the sword," Fili said drily. He then reached up and grabbed my hand, pulling it away from where I was playing with his hair. "Must you always be fidgeting with something?"

I looked down, embarrassed. "Sorry. I don't notice when I'm doing it."

Still holding my hand, he leaned down to touch his lips to my ear through my hair in a kiss. "I'll help you work on that."

My chest fluttered and seized as he got up and helped me to my feet. I looked down at him, noting the ridiculous difference in our height. Well, not ridiculous, only a couple inches difference. I never expected to be with a guy shorter than me, or with one that had a beard and long hair. Somehow I was starting to find all of those traits appealing where I didn't before.

"Shall we take our leave?" He held out his hand and looked puzzled when I didn't immediately take it.

"Hang on a second," I said nervously.

He dropped his hand and watched my every move as I walked toward him. This was stupid, but, goddamn it I was going to do it. Stretching my hand out, I touched the bottom of his jaw with my fingertips. He froze. Sliding my hand further up and spreading my fingers out, his mustache braid scrunched upward and rested on top of the back of my thumb. His short beard was surprisingly soft to the touch. I expected it to be coarse or wiry. It did have a tinge of roughness to it.

With a look of bewilderment, he covered my hand with his. My heart hammered.

"It's softer than I thought it would be." I wanted to apologize for doing something weird simply because I was struck with a powerful, random urge. I would probably look like an even bigger weirdo if I tried to explain.

Fili laughed and curled his fingers around mine, pulling my hand away from his face. "Never in all my summers has a woman been so explicitly fascinated with my beard."

My face turned tomato red. "Um," I scrambled to come up with an excuse. "Guys don't usually have beards where I come from. I was curious about what they felt like." I almost said only mountain men or backwoods guys typically had beards.

He must have seen my face turning into lava because his eyes were twinkling, though I wasn't sure if he was amused or weirded out.

"You really never were courtly, were you?" Though I had no idea what he meant, he quickly added as if to save his own skin, "I mean no offense, but even the most forward dwarrowdanes are not as…" he cleared his throat. "Forward," he finished lamely.

He was only confirming what I told him and everyone else several times before. "No. I'm not from a court life." I figured he was talking about all the lady like manorisms from high status females. I couldn't believe some of the dwarves were still holding onto that idea. "I have sixteen years of schooling including university but I don't know anything about high life social edict."

"I took you for being educated." He seemed excited to learn of this. "Don't worry, I might be an heir but I was not brought up in the typical sense of court life."

It was nice to know we were both idiots when it came to relationships. If that's what he was implying. In the form of a sledgehammer I just realized again I agreed to date a prince, someone who was in line to take a throne, and he's a dwarf who might rule over a dwarf kingdom. Would that mean I would be a queen or something if I did…get together with him? _Fuck. _I did not think this through. Princes don't exist. What planet am I on anymore?

Fili led me back toward Beorn's, holding my hand the whole way, and I was struck with another problem to be thrown into my vat of uncertainties. Thorin, plus everyone else. Somehow I doubted the dwarves would approve, and I did not want a hidden relationship. Relationship, such a weird word.

Leaving the trees, Fili and I came to Beorn's meadow buzzing with bees the size of baseballs.

"Hang on," I said, stopping and pulling my hand out of his.

Fili halted, turned back, and glanced around. He smirked. "Don't worry about the bees. They're relatively harmless."

"It's not that. Should we tell the others now? Is this really a good idea?"

Fili was hesitant to answer. "I have thought about it. Some may not approve but I made this decision. I will not back out on my word. "

He held his hand out, asking rather than demanding. I took it.

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><p><em>Last Day in Middle Earth, I hope,<em>

The fae wasn't happy when I returned without the ring again. My excuses are getting lamer by the day. I think she's getting annoyed with me yet she keeps talking. Every day the fae reveals a little more information, usually in the form of a cleverly crafted rant mixed in with singing, random praise, then more human bashing, or how good my bones would work in a potion. I'm starting to wonder if she's a witch.

Glorfindel said I would be susceptible to its song so he gave me a keepsake to nullify its music, just in case I encountered it again. I think he knows what I'm doing and pretends not to know. Anyway, I let the fae prattle on while 'agreeing' with her and here's the kicker. I found out I came here through a fae portal. That's right, fae can travel dimensions, even to earth. She told me only fae can open them with their special fae magic. I think I'm going to have to force her hand to give me a push through. Maybe…I'm taking my sword with me next time. It's not like a fae is a dragon or anything, but who knows...

I'm going to stow this journal and my gun by the tree I like to camp by. I could leave it with the elves but then they would know my plans before I could act. I wrote them all down then tore them out but that's beside the point. How cool would it be if someone like me found it? Maybe the gun will come in handy. I was always afraid to waste the bullets and never ended up using it. Wish me luck, whoever finds this and can read English.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's note: This chapter was a doozy. I ended up rewriting and deleting 12 pages worth of text trying to get everything to come out right. Enjoy.**

**Special mentions of reviewers: ****Vaughn Tyler****, ****Ox King, ****Marina Oakenshield****, ****Vanafindiel****, ****Gyromice89****, ****xxMutantAndProudxx****, ****Lady Shagging Godiva****, and ****EmaWee89**

* * *

><p>Seasoned ground meat sizzled in a skillet and a glistening black nose sniffed the rim of the burner. I stirred the browning clumps of ground meat, turned down the heat, and pushed Hercules aside. My Malamute sat on his haunches and licked his white peppered chops while I used a spatula to transfer the crisped meat to a plate. Hercules glued himself to my legs, looking up expectantly with his lulling tongue as I waded through him to the table. His claws clicked against the tile floor and he circled the chair I pulled out. I scratched his head when he settled it in my lap and distractedly ate my dinner while turning the pages of my chemistry book. There was going to be a final tomorrow and I wasn't anywhere near ready for it.<p>

The taco mix I made didn't have much taste, or maybe it had no taste at all. I ate too quickly to be healthy and I put up the dishes before made my way down the hall. Pushing Hercules aside so I could shut the bathroom door, I turned on the shower and waited until the room was clouded with steam. I stepped in with a contented sigh as the hot water stung and palpated my back. My muscles, tight from hunching over books all day, loosened and I leaned back to wet my hair. The water cascaded over my scalp and something slick wrapped around my ankle.

I was pulled down with a gasp and plunged into an icy body of water as dark as the ocean at night. Wordlessly I shouted and pried at the slippery tentacle. In the depths of the water a mouth grinned, flashing shark teeth in a triumphant smile. The sunken pits of the creature's eyes glistened red and fear welled up in my chest. A tentacle shot up from the depths and wrapped around my mouth. More slithering tendrils restrained my arms and legs, rendering them immobile.

The restraints tightened and squeezed my throat, forcing my lungs to fill with water. I pushed at the water and tentacles, trying to find the surface. There was no longer an up or down, gravity had abandoned me. A feral part somewhere deep inside wanted to turn around and shred the monster, but I was too afraid to glance look at it.

My lungs drew in air with a gasp and my limbs jerked, tearing away the black curtain that entrapped my body and mind. When I opened my eyes, I was staring at the wooden walls and mounds of hay in the stable of Beorn's home. A horse whinnied in a stall nearby and flicked its tail. Someone was hovering overhead.

"Nightmare?" Fili asked quietly.

I fought off the woolen blanket that had become tangled around my legs and pushed it to the end of the bedroll in a crumpled mess. All of the bedding was Beorn's which he had graciously let everyone borrow.

Fili rubbed my arm, looking solemn as my limbs still shook and my heartbeat raced. "Does it happen often?" He asked quietly.

My voice was distant. "Not really."

He frowned, clearly not believing me.

"I already forgot what it was about." That was lie. It was one of my more vivid nightmares. I could still feel tendrils from the dream lingering at the edge of my mind.

Stretching my leg out, my foot hit the journal that had been previously hidden under the cover. That would be the last time I read it before going to bed.

"Kili, sit down." Thorin ordered and pushed Kili back down by his shoulder when the young dwarf tried to stand. Kili fell back on the edge of Beorn's fire pit, looking thoroughly put out.

"Why am I to be punished for nothing?" Kili had a hard time speaking, everything he said was muffled and airy.

"You know very well why." Thorin turned Kili's head to get a better look at the side of his face.

Yesterday evening when Fili and I had returned it turned out Kili had not been stalling for our sake. Or maybe he was in some twisted and unorthodox way, I couldn't tell. Kili apparently thought it would be a good idea to prance into the flower garden and rouse Beorn's Jurassic bees. I had a feeling someone would get stung sooner or later, I was not surprised Kili was the winner. He sported a massive red whelp on his cheek that shone with salve. At first I was concerned he was allergic and I had a hard time peeling my eyes away from him for the next couple hours to make sure he wasn't swelling up more or having trouble breathing. Thankfully he was not.

The reddened distortion on Kili's face sent Fili into a panic. He had rushed to his brother's side when we returned, forgetting everything about telling the others about…us.

The distraction had been a relief. No one thought our reemergence after so long was suspicious. The Company was overly preoccupied with Kili by bringing him salves and herbal medicine and generally fretting over his wellbeing. Thorin gave Fili a passing grunt of recognition when he ran up asking what happened before Thorin continuing scolding Kili for his 'lack of sense'. Ori was the only one who said hello to me and gave the rundown on what happened to Kili.

Beorn had been absent from the scene of the crime, and he was still missing. It was probably for the best. The dwarves would probably get kicked out faster than teens who crashed their parents' car into the neighbor's mailbox.

"That looks painful," I murmured while watching Kili cringe.

Fili was resting on his knee and I eyed still healing cuts crisscrossing his nose and cheeks, wondering if they still hurt. I was hit with an urge to touch his face.

"He woke up groaning about his sorry state. I was fetching more salve. Honestly, who rouses a field of buzzing creatures?" Fili held up a bag that had his personal stash of medicine.

He'd somehow hung onto it all through goblin town. Not all that surprising, actually. According to Nori, the goblins only took outwardly worn satchels and weapons. If something was under your clothes, you were safe. It was a good thing too or my wound from the goblin blade wouldn't have been healing as nicely. Oin contributed the most, he had made sure to hang onto several bags of his medicine that was more potent than anyone else's homemade first aid kit, and Beorn was steadily resupplying him.

I pulled the blanket over the journal and swung my legs around, pushing the hem of my pants down since they had ridden up and wrinkled from sleep. "I warned him about bee stings. Did he listen? Nope."

"You told him not to?" Fili scoffed. "I bet my beard that is precisely the reason he was stung."

So basically Kili acted like a teenager and did the exact opposite of what he was warned for the sake of it. Nice one Kili. There goes my slim chance of a theory that he committed stupidity out of the goodness of his heart.

I looked at the bag of herbs Fili clutched and worried the blanket at my feet between my fingers. He watched my fidgeting.

"Why did everyone look at me weird when I asked for soap?"

Fili blinked before his mind recalled yesterday's affair. His mouth twitched upward and his eyes smiled. "It is an expensive commodity."

I hung my head. "It's cheap and everywhere back home. You can't get rid of the stuff."

Thinking of home gave me a fierce longing for modern and more comfortable, clean clothes. And hot showers. It was odd those were the only real things I missed about home, simple hygiene. Oh, and Hercules. At least I knew my parents wouldn't let him starve.

"Do not fret, you are a guest and Beorn saw to your needs." He paused. "You look better than you did the other day. Your color is coming back." Fili commented on my near throw up the other day and pale looks from the one ring incident. He started to stand up. "Kili will be wanting for this salve."

"I'm sorry I called you a bastard." I blurted.

Fili paused and I looked at the ground.

I bit the inside of my cheek. "Kili said I made you upset. I don't mean half the stupid stuff I say, a lot of insulting words don't carry any weight in my world since they are flung around so much. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I'm sorry I didn't notice it bothered you. But it's not like it would have been bad if you were an actual bastard, but you're not a literal bastard. So…sorry." _ Stop talking,_ I berated myself.

After blinking for a beat, Fili chuckled. "I have never heard you lace so many words together at once."

I was going to say sorry again but stopped myself. Every part of my body felt heated with embarrassment and my chest tightened.

"I was angry for a time," Fili admitted. "Then it became apparent you fling about words the same way a troll flings about the guts of its meal."

"Eww," I said quickly at the mental picture including the dwarves and myself at the troll incident with all of our guts being pulled from our ripped open stomachs.

Fili turned more serious. "You say such words mean nothing in your world but here word choices should be made more careful. They are as good as binding and may anger a less forgiving party."

"Oh," was all I could conjure. Had I really been running my mouth and offending every living being this side of Rivendell, Erebor, or whatever? Probably. Holy hell the things I've said to Thorin and everyone else. I hate myself.

Fili put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Don't fret. I accept your apology."

A weight on my chest lifted and Fili may have been smiling broader than before.

I sighed through my nose and grabbed his hand, pulling it off my shoulder and holding it. "I still can't believe you…believe me about being from another world."

Fili shifted his weight on his knee. "It's true, is it not? Or were those words false?" There was no anger or amusement but I had a feeling there was lingering resentment. It hurt to think Fili might hold a grudge.

Defensive and afraid he would think my words never carried weight, I said, "It's true. The only things I say that don't mean anything are my random cursing or bashing. They're just extensions of my frustration. That's it. They're expressions like saying an exclamation mark out loud."

"Bashing? Not once have you been able to properly bash an enemy." He was amused that time for sure, and mocking me.

Hotly, I said, "It's a figure of speech."

He leaned in close, smiling with intense hooded eyes and dilated pupils. His warm breath that smelled like his pipe weed brush over my face. "Your have a strange way of making up definitions for words."

Flushed, I said quickly, "It's a living language, the meanings of words are always changing or being added to." I looked over his shoulder. "Go give Kili his meds. He looks like he needs you to rescue him from the wrath of Thorin."

Fili was mirthful. "Indeed he does."

Wait, that was rude, I didn't mean to brush him off. I cringed, offended at myself. "I don't mean it like that."

He slipped his hand out of mine and patted my shoulder, leaving me feeling like a jerk.

While Fili bid his uncle good morning and tended to Kili's face, Thorin was _still _reaming Kili out. Tight lipped with my brow creased, I washed my face in a bowl of water Dori had made and left out for all of us to use. The dwarves weren't huge on bathing but after goblin town everyone was wanting for some hygiene. Not that a shared bowl of water being dumped out and refilled several times a day was very hygienic, but it was better than nothing.

"Why were you not with your brother when this happened? I ordered no one venture out alone." Thorin turned on Fili. "What if an orc had attacked? Your brother would very well be dead."

Fili glared at his uncle then averted his eyes. "It will not happen again."

"No, it will not. You are not to leave this house until we depart, same with Kili."

Kili made a sound of protest, obviously wanting to same something, but grimaced and thought better when talking hurt his face. "Fili, as punishment you will chop Beorn's firewood instead of having breakfast."

Fili wouldn't meet his eyes. "Yes, Thorin."

A small part of me wanted to tell Thorin that was unfair on Fili and Kili's behalf, but then I remembered all the disrespectful things I said to him. Maybe I needed to keep my mouth shut more.

I started to get up to join the dwarves at breakfast then for a moment, I hesitated, remembering my nightmare. Taking Glorfindel's silver necklace out of my pocket, I hung it around my neck and tucked under my shirt. Through the fabric I gripped the bird's shape.

Lugging my tired self up, I plopped down between Bifur and Bilbo. The Hobbit scooted a fraction away and brooded over his breakfast, I couldn't imagine what he was thinking about. Bifur said something in Khuzdul and started making a plate that he shoved toward me. I thanked him and nibbled on the fruit and bread. My stomach was more accepting today.

"So Kili," I said with a smirk, feeling better with food in my stomach. Thorin had gone off to talk with Balin and Fili was situating himself at the table next to his brother. "What did you do to piss off the bees?"

Kili glared instead of speaking since he know how much it would hurt to retort. I smiled broader. Karma is amazing. "How long was the stinger? I bet it was the size of a hypodermic needle." I was still curious about how he didn't die. A bee that large had to have been packing at least 10 ccs of venom. The stinger alone could have killed him if it penetrated his skull with enough force. Either way would be a gruesome fate I admittedly was glad he didn't suffer, even if he was an idiot dwarf who couldn't keep his mouth shut or mind his own business.

"I'm willing to bet he tried to trap one to see how it tastes," Dwalin smirked.

"No, no, he stepped on one and it flew up and jabbed him right in noggin," Nori poked his cheek.

"I wouldn't bet against Dwalin if I were you," Dori said and Nori pouted with a deep scowl.

Kili made an angry noise and threw up his arms in frustration. Dwalin and several others roared with laughter. Kili stalked off to his bedroll where he laid down with his back turned to the room.

"Oh come Kili. I'm sure you didn't mean to get stung. We don't think less of you for it." Bofur's uplifting attempts were ignored.

Ori rung his hands. "I feel quite bad for him."

Fili laughed. "He'll be fine."

For the rest of breakfast I kept stealing looks at Fili interacting animatedly with the dwarves at the other end of the table. He hollered and half sung something at the tail end of a conversation and stood with his mug raised. Dwalin and Gloin joined him. I still couldn't believe he asked me to be his…girlfriend.

I had to wonder if Fili's feelings were a passing infatuation like that guy in high school. The situation, for I could hardly call a one night dinner dating, had been so short lived I don't think I blinked before the guy said he thought we should end it and go our separate ways.

It was too soon to tell, and I had to figure out what he meant to me. I had never been good with feelings other than frustration and fear. Those were easy to identify within myself. With Fili around I felt warm in my core and I wanted watch whatever he did like some creepy stalker. Maybe that's what love felt like, or was I infatuated, or neither. Maybe I was appreciating someone who had lucked out in the gene pool. No, that wasn't right.

There were things I liked about Fili besides his looks. He was more outgoing than I yet he could enjoy the silence. He was fun to be around and concerned for others, especially his brother. He was one of the few who believed me about being from another world, and he was tough on the battle field. Maybe I was infatuated with the idea of him being a warrior. No, that was also wrong, though it was a plus to know he would have my back in an orc or goblin attack.

"Who wants more?! Raise your tankard!" Fili climbed onto the table with a pitcher full of milk sloshing dangerously close to the rim. He used Bombur's shoulder to hoist himself up and the large dwarf nearly face planted in his second helping of breakfast.

The other dwarves cheered and held up their drinks. One would think they were drinking mead with how happy they were for Fili to trapeze over their plates and top off their drinks.

Bilbo grumbled at my side, something about bad guests and dirty shoes. My face was starting to burn I was grinning so much at the scene. Fili's stumbled between me and Ori sitting across the table. He filled both our drinks with the last drops of the pitcher even though my tankard was filled with water, not milk.

"Drink and be merry for we're staying at the home of Beorn the skin-changer! A toast to the good man!" Fili raised his the pitcher that was bigger than his head and I had to wonder if Beorn spiked the milk with something.

The others were more than happy to oblige. They raised their drinks and shouted

"To Beorn and his plentiful feasts and warm hearth!" Gloin said.

"Aye!" Kili, Dwalin, and Nori shouted.

I wasn't very good at letting loose like they were so I contributed by raised my drink during the cascade of praises.

"Say something for the good man!" Fili leaped from the table and onto the seat between Bifur and me, forcing the older dwarf to practically sit in Bofur's lap. Fili grabbed my hand that was holding the tankard up.

Mortified, I looked around the table despite knowing no one would rescue me from impending embarrassment. Thorin was the only one looking at me, his face impassive as he sat by the fire, observing the joviality. He was too kingly, or broody, to join in. My eyes were wide as I stared at him, the words 'help' etched into my pupils. Thorin just crossed his arms and leaned back to watch. Bastard.

Fili raised my arm up higher and I don't think he knew how hard he yanked, or miscalculated my weight because I flew out of my seat. He had to scramble to catch me around the middle so I didn't fall down with my legs caught under the table. The movement pulled at the bruise around my waist. I sucked in the flash of pain, making sure I didn't betray how much it hurt as it slowly faded.

"Apologies love," He said and my eyes went wider. "What say you to our fine guest?"

"I-uh." It was hard to think with his arm wrapped around my middle. He slid his hand back so he only held my side instead of giving me a one arm bear hug. That did not help my concentration. "Beorn makes really good homemade bread?" I squeaked.

Shouts of "Aye!" rose up and I wanted to crawl into a deep, dark hole.

Fili stepped off the bench and helped me sit back down before rushing to the other end of the table, bounced into his original seat and taking a deep swig of his milk.

"I wish I had my flute," Bofur lamented and Dwalin patted him on the back with his sympathies.

Someone touched my hair and I turned to Bifur who was cradling the hair piece twisted into my braid in his palm and said something in a worried tone. I flushed and ducked away. Bifur let the braid slide away.

"I-uh. I don't know if you understand me but could you keep it a secret, for now?"

Bifur said something else, maybe it was a concern.

"I don't mean it's a bad thing, but, I don't know. Just don't tell Thorin yet. He's still cranky, but then he's always cranky."

Bifur spoke again and knitted brow. I wanted to slam my forehead into the table and hopefully knock myself out. I opted not to since that would just draw attention.

"What are you going on about?" Bilbo asked on my left.

"Nothing!" I said quickly. "Just that I think I need another bath. I'm going to get as many baths in as I can before we leave this place. Who knows when I'll get to have one again?"

Bilbo sighed. "Just as well I fear we will not get to eat so much again for a long while."

"Right," I drawled out. "Don't hobbits eat ten times a day or something?"

"Seven," He confirmed. "No day is complete without seven meals, including tea at exactly 4 o'clock."

"You sound like an old woman."

Bilbo jerkily looked ahead and swiveled his mouth in a twitching habit he had picked up.

I excused myself from the table when the burn of Bifur's eyes wouldn't leave the ornament in my hair. Dori asked where I was going and accepted my excuse of going out for fresh air, the horse hair was wreaking havoc on my allergies.

Outside I blew my nose and longed for allergy meds for the millionth time. In Beorn's pasture out front, a couple ponies I recognized as ones that were stabled a foot from my head the night before were grazing and a white rabbit hopped by. If Beorn was a girl, I would call him snow white. As a guy, he was more like Beast from Beauty and the Beast, only without the talking appliances and furniture. Maybe he was a prince like Beast. It wouldn't surprise me, royalty seemed to be everywhere in Middle Earth.

It was nice to be free of the dwarves, no one had come outside yet. I ventured through the pasture and skirted through the bees to the forest. Despite how much time I'd spent in the woods the past couple months, I still found them comforting to go for a walk in, even if I could hear Thorin patronizing me in the back of my head for wandering off on my own. He could suck it up, he was my boss, not my uncle, and I was off duty.

Picking a direction, I wandered, and so did my mind much like when I first stumbled into Middle Earth. Everything kept coming back to Fili and what he thought of me and what I thought of him. Nothing I came up with was conclusive except that I didn't know much about Fili, like what his favorite food or color was. The basic things. He didn't know much about me, either. How could he be attracted to someone he hardly knew, but then I was the pot calling the kettle black. I sighed in frustration. My mind didn't usually run in circles, it liked to sort itself out then be done with a train of thought for good.

"Oh my, you look troubled, my fair Lady." A silvery male voice said.

"I'm not a lady," I snapped. I looked up in surprise, I didn't recognize that voice. A handsome looking guy stood smiling a few feet away with long black hair messed with weeds interwoven in his wavy locks.

Staggering, I backed into a tree. "Who are you?" Maybe coming out here alone wasn't such a great idea.

"I am Achaius." He said calmly and with a polite smile.

Achaius name sounding like something a person could only pronounce while playing chubby bunny.

"Are you Beorn's neighbor or some random guy?" I asked.

The man was dressed up in what looked like 18th century formal attire. "I am a shape shifter, like your host, though less hairy and more refined."

"That's nice. I'm heading back. Nice meeting you." I wasn't armed. I had left without a knife or any sort of weapon. Stupid, I know. Being around Beorn's home had made me lax enough to think I could stroll around the woods like I did at home without any worries.

"Sounds as if you are angry with me, or is it with someone else. Mind telling me about it? I am always up for a tale."

_Well don't you think you're perceptive?_ "Nothing's wrong. I was thinking, and now I'm done."

Grass rustle, Achaius was following me. "Oh? Whatever were you thinking about?"

"Life," I said. Who knew what this guy wanted, I didn't care to find out.

"There are many things about life worth thinking of, like the smell of the sea or the feeling of sand between your toes. Do you like the ocean, my Lady?"

Turning on him, I put my hands on my hips. "My name is Meg, not lady. What is it you want?"

Achaius put his hand to his chest. "Meg? So short, so limp of life. Surely there is more to your name?"

"I'd rather not say." This guy oozed more flamboyance than my cousin who was a theatre major.

"You must tell me why." He moved around, placing himself between me and Beorn's house and stepping closer than I liked.

"Since you're bugging me about it I definitely won't tell you." Achaius might have sensed my aversion as he backed up a couple steps.

He bowed. "Of course. It was rude of me to continue pestering. Instead of your name, would you care to continue your walk with company? I was on a stroll myself and I don't often encounter others in these woods who can converse about life."

Maybe he wasn't as dangerous as I thought. Usually people with ill intent would have tried to kill me by now. This whole journey was written down in a book on earth so it was possible this character was meant to randomly pop up and give sagely advice while simultaneously being slightly creepy.

"Alright. I'll walk with you for a little bit." Maybe he had something important to say, or maybe I was walking into trouble. I would flip a coin if I had one.

"What brings you to this humble part of the world?" Achaius asked. He walked slightly ahead, leading the way.

Such a broad question, I wanted to turn around and leave right then. "I'm traveling with dwarves," I told him. I didn't see the harm in that tidbit of information.

"Dwarves?" Achaius was blasphemous. "It's odd for a human to travel with such stubborn folk."

I shrugged. "They aren't that bad. I kind of like dwarves."

Achaius slowed so he was next to me. "Even stranger." He had an eternal smile plastered on his face.

A few minutes passed before Achaius started talking again. "I did not always live in these woods. I used to reside in a place that was warmer with a constant breeze. I miss my home dearly."

He relapsed into quietness and I hoped he would stay that way. I could sense he was waiting for me to say something. "Where did you used to live?" Might as well take the bait.

"It does not matter anymore."

Funny, get me talking then give me the same cold shoulder.

I was about to call him out on his bull when the trees gave way to a lake. Its waters were still as glass and black as obsidian. Something about it was off. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I looked behind me, feeling hungry eyes. There was nothing. Achaius had disappeared.

"Ah, this is my favorite place in the forest. It isn't quite the same as home, I prefer the sea, but I have made due. It is cozy, is it not?" Achaius appeared close to the water's edge and I felt two raindrops hit my arms. I looked up. Nothing. Not even a cloud in the sky.

"I sense the lingering's of an enchantment on you. One that is attached to a peculiar ring. Its touch called and roused me from my slumber." Achaius' eyes changed from a brilliant green to a murky shade and his pupils rotated to horizontal, soulless slits. He looked at me over his shoulder, grinning in a way that was no longer friendly.

My skin prickled with a shower of invisible raindrops and a shiver of fear. When I rubbed my arms, no water came off, nor did I feel anything wet. His eyes were freaky.

I started trying to turn about the ring I always wore and quickly remembered I gave it to Fili. There was no way he meant that piece of jewelry. There could only be one other ring he was talking about in this world. The one ring to rule them all.

Achaius tilted his head. The air about him shimmered like heat coming off hot pavement. "You would not happen to know where this artifact is, would you, little human?"

My coin flip had come up on the wrong end. This guy was not a friend.

"I don't." I was hyper aware of how defenseless I would be if he shapeshifted into a bear or some other creature and decided to maul my face.

Achaius came closer. "Liar." His voice warped into a deeper, malicious tone. "The rings were not meant for mortals. They have been made impure. Hand it over or your flesh shall be feasted on."

The sensation of rain increased to large droplets and I stepped back. "I don't have it."

He sniffed the air like a dog and his voice returned to normal. "Yes. You are right, it is no longer on you. Tell me, where have you stashed the ring?"

"I don't know where it is." I repeated.

"I am no longer in the mood for games." He sneered with a hint of his more menacing voice lingering just below the surface.

"I know who has it but I don't know where they are at this very second so technically I don't know where it is." I said with a bubbling sense of panic.

Achaius narrowed his unnatural eyes. "Never mind the ring for a moment. I want to know how it is you, a simple human, came to Middle Earth. Are you lost, little sheep?"

At the word 'lost' I stopped fidgeting with my gold necklace that I had unconsciously defaulted to messing with. "No?" I meant to make my answer a statement, damn it.

I didn't think I could get back home but I knew where I was, I wasn't physically lost. I was in Middle Earth with Thorin's Company. They were all back at Beorn's cabin and I planned on going there, if I lived through this. I cleared my throat. "I'm not lost."

"It is curious how a lie can so quickly become a truth."

I narrowed my eyes, angry at his condescending tone. "It depends on your perspective."

Achaius sauntered forward. "You have tried my patience. I am not kind like others of my ilk."

He was going to kill me, there was no other intention in his step. I bolted. Achaius followed and the sound of rustling grass behind me turned into pounding and heavy snorting. I stumbled back to avoid being trampled as a glistening, giant black horse with weeds tangled in its tail and mane cut off my path.

"Answer me. Where does a portal yet exist in this world?" Achaius' voice whinnied from his horse mouth that was lined with sharp teeth. The air about him shimmered more violently as he backing me up to the lake.

I couldn't outrun a horse, and I was defenseless, so I did the only thing I could. I screamed. "Help! Help! Someone!"

The back of my foot slipped into lake's water. My heart leapt in my throat and I reached forward instinctively to keep from falling backwards. My flat hands smacked the pecks of the horse. My chest burst with heat and I tried to pull away but my hands stuck fast to Achaius' fur, something sticky was seeping between my fingers. The shimmering about Achaius sloughed off like decomposing skin. I twisted and yanked but I stuck fast.

Achaius was no longer a beautiful man nor a beautiful horse. He head was long and bony, nearly a skeleton like the rest of him. His teeth were almost the proper shape of a horses at the front, but still sharp. The rest of his mouth had long canines and serrated teeth like a crocodiles. Swept back gills had grown out over his hollowed out cheekbones and by his flaking hooves. His ears were so long and twisted that they looked like gnarled branches growing from his head.

My pupils shrank to nothing.

"Help!" My voice cracked. I desperately wanted to tear my own hands off just so I didn't have to touch the demonic creature. Mucus oozed down my arms from his sickly green fur.

"Helllp!" I had to be locked in a nightmare, I was asleep and this wall all a really bad lucid dream. The creature in front of me was all in my head. Not real. If it was real I would be going to an insane asylum, if I lived.

"Where is the ring?" Achaius licked his lips that were permanently receded over his front teeth and pounded his powerful tail that his back legs had morphed into and propelled the both of us into the lake. .

"Why don't you go crawl somewhere and die!" Was my last curse before plunging back first into the lake.

Water warm as a summer's day and stagnant as a forgotten well surged all around as Achaius slammed my back into the lakebed, rushing air from my lungs. Teeth sank into my arm and pulled, ready to rend flesh. Blinding light flashed brilliantly through my tightly closed eyes. My chest felt hot as the monster gurgled a scream. My hands came free when the Achaius pulled away and artificial water currents whipped about in a frenzy.

Water rushed by like wind as he flailed. More turbulence stirred and his tail painfully pounded me further into the dirt. He trashed, banged his tail near my head, feet, and side repeatedly. I heard his faint screams travel through the water. I needed oxygen or I was going to pass out.

I struggled upward, or where I hoped was upward, as my head lightened and sparks erupted behind my eyelids. I didn't want this to be it.

The surface of the lake broke and I gasped for breath, belching up water stuck in my larynx. A giant paw slammed a jet of water near my head and I started swimming as two massive creatures tussled, plunged, and resurfaced. Rolling over and over dangerously close. They snarled and snapping at each other as I dragged myself onto shore and plopped down on the grass, panting. In the lake Achaius' ugly head reared from the water and his tail slapped the surface. Beorn lunged from underneath him and grabbed him around the underside of his thick neck and sunk his fangs into the horses' sickly green fur. Achaius screamed and blood poured from the puncture wounds.

Beorn shook his jaws to try and break Achaius' neck and he used his powerful paw to bat and claw at Achaius' sides, leaving long gouges in the horse's gaunt shoulders. With one quick jerk of Beorn's head, Achaius went limp. Beorn dragged the body through the lake and onto shore where he started ripping into the carcass like wild animal caught in a frenzy.

I had a feeling Beorn wasn't going to recognize me and I was lucky he hadn't noticed where I was. Quietly as I could, I hauled my soaking wet and battered body off the ground and limped to the trees, using a large trunk to catch myself. My arm was bleeding from where Achaius bit me, the same one the goblin had slashed. My hip was aching where it had been pushed into a rock in the lakebed, and I was feeling my not quite healed bruises from Goblin town. My waist was hurting the most. The ripping sounds of Beorn tearing flesh and his bear grunts and growls gave me the energy to limp into the forest, coughing water as I went.

* * *

><p>For an undetermined time I stumbled through the trees and tall weeds. Despite the blindingly hot, sinking sun, my uncomfortably soaked clothes had hardly dried. With each step I took my feet squelched in my boots. I stopped walking when I promptly admitted I was lost. Tears pricked my eyes and blurred my vision until it was impossible to see anymore. I sat down and cried. I wanted to go home, I wanted a hot shower, and I wanted my bed.<p>

"Meg?!"

Sniffing, I looked up, thinking I had heard my name in a muffled, far away call. My heart raced.

"Miss Meg!"

Fiercely I wiped away the tears and not trip over anything in the process.

"Please if you're out here, answer!"

I made a huge racket as I stumbled to my feet and the familiar voice stopped calling when I snapped a particularly large fallen and rotting branch under my foot.

"Bless my beard." Sympathy tumbled from Bofur when he saw my slouched shoulders, the dried blood and smeared dirt trailing down my arm, my wet clinging clothes, and puffy red eyes. "We've been looking fer ya for hours, lass."

He walked over and put a gentle, guiding hand on my shoulder, standing at my side as if waiting for me to collapse. "It's good to see you standing." He was smiling on my behalf and I could tell he wanted to ask what happened but thought better of it.

Embarrassingly, I started crying again. The kind of tears that are silent but roll fat down my cheeks and refuse to cease.

"Come now. Don't cry. It'll be alright." Bofur led me through the forest as I angrily wiped at my tears, desperate for them to stop. "The others will be glad to see you."

His avoidance of asking what happened made me want to say something, but I knew if I tried to speak, I would break down into sobs.

"Any luck?!" Dori's voice floated through the trees.

"Here!" Bofur called so loud that I cringed.

I was still scrubbing my eyes with my sleeves and unsuccessfully willing the tears away when Dori came huffing through the trees.

"Do you mean here you have found her or here you have found a trace?" Dori asked in exasperation. His question was answered when he saw me and Bofur. "What in the halls of the mountain. Orcs?"

I shook my head. Orcs would have been better.

"It's best if we wait until everyone can hear." Bofur didn't let me stop and moving so Dori fell into step.

Dori was low and stern. "Take her back to Beorn's residence, there are those waiting for her return. I will let the others know she has been found."

He broke off and Bofur and I stumbled toward Beorn's. Bofur provided encouragements as I slowly lost my strength. I leaned heavily against him halfway there, feeling every ache and pain by the time we finally reached the cabin doors. I didn't flinch when a bee buzzed past my face while Bofur struggled to shoulder the doors open while supporting my weight.

They flew open and Fili, Kili, Ori, and Bilbo jumped to their feet. They looked at the two of us, stunned.

"Don't just stand there," Bofur said, snapping the three from their spell. "She needs help."

Fili rushed over and took me from Bofur. I sagged against him and started crying, loud and unrestrained. He was stiff and unsure, then he hugged me back. Wet clothes, blood, and all. I had never been so terrified in my life. I wanted to sink into his arms and never resurface. I didn't know how much I wanted to hug him until now.

Fili scooped me up like I weighed nothing and took me over to a bedroll where he made me sit. I curled into his chest, soaking up his warmth, and he started humming. When my sobs turned into small hiccups he gently pushed me back to assess the damage. "Mahal. What happened?"

"Who did this to you?" Kili looked as furious as he could with the bump on his cheek. Ori was behind him looking frightened.

Sniffing I told them, "I don't know." That thing wasn't like any creature I had seen or heard of before.

Bilbo stood back with his arms crossed, he would only glance at us in intervals. "Orcs?" He strained, having the same mind as Dori.

Shaking my head, I offered, "A shape shifter of some kind."

The doors slammed open, making all of us jump. Dwarves poured inside. Bofur leapt to his feet and Bilbo made a hasty retreat with him. Ori made like a skittish cat and ran around the table. Kili and Fili remained close by.

Thorin led the way and he made a b-line for where I sat. Even he paused upon seeing me.

"What happened?" He ordered sternly with no preemption.

"She says something about a shape shifter," Bofur provided.

"I was not aware you spoke on her behalf," Thorin said harshly.

Bofur quailed and Bilbo crumpled a frown.

Sniffing again to rid my nasal passage of snot, I drew attention from Bofur who had done nothing but shown me kindness. "A guy turned up in the woods who turned into a horse, then a horse-demon thing with a tail. I think it tried to eat me."

Quietly, the doors opened and Beorn, covered in Achaius' blood, stormed in, looking bestial and tight with tension. His eyes were narrow slits.

"Stay your blades," Beorn's said gruffly at Dwalin and several others who had drawn their weapons. "It would not be wise to rouse my temper at this moment. Where is Gandalf?"

"Where else would he be but not here?" Thorin said contemptuously and moved to stand between Beorn and Fili, Kili, and I. Fili copied Thorin, placing himself in front of me and Kili.

"Send him to me if he returns. I require a word with the wizard." There was growl in Beorn's voice that wasn't all human.

Thorin was pensive. "I shall, but only if you tell the tale of why you are covered in blood. What foe have you slain?"

Beorn watched Thorin as if debating if he were worth his time and patience. "On my patrol for orcs I smelled something I had not before, strange magic and sea water. There was a horse with a tail that dove into a black lake that had once been blue. I took chase and killed it in battle." He strained to retain his anger, growling deep in his chest as if fighting not to change into a bear.

"What of my companions? Did you see anyone of them at the lake with this horse?" Thorin asked.

"I would not know. I smelled the horse creature, a foul, evil smell, and I killed it for straying into my territory. That was all."

Beorn stared hard at Thorin, seemingly on the verge of lunging, then he broke eye contact and went to the back where his room resided.

Ori asked to the room, "How can a horse be evil?"

"I doubt it was a horse. That is two who claim it had the tail of a fish. That is not right, I tell you." Nori said sneered.

"It twas a fae creature." No one had heard Gandalf enter and none were not surprised by his sudden appearance. He was just removing his hat and placing it on the dining table. He held his staff in both hands and tiredly leaned on it, displaying mental fatigue rather than physical.

My chest tightened. _That was a fae? _I looked at Fili who returned my gaze with confusion and worry.

"Creatures from the stories mum used to tell?" Kili asked, his voice distorted by his golf ball size cheek. The swelling had only started to go down.

Thorin left no room for argument. "They do not exist."

Bilbo twiddling with something between his fingers. "It's said that a Took once married a fairy."

Everyone looked at him. Bilbo's eyes went wide and he hopped on his heels when he found himself the center of attention. "Tooks," Bilbo sharply looked down then back up. "One would think they would be the ones drawn into such an adventure as this."

Gandalf smiled wryly.

Bilbo wilted under Thorin's pinning stare. "Fairies, or fae as they are sometimes called by older folk, are not unheard of in hobbit society. They live in the woods bordering the Shire. Many who venture there never return. Only Tooks have been able to move in and out at will. Nasty creatures they are, fairies. They will trick you out of your groceries as quickly as your life."

"It is only a story," Thorin said firmly.

Quietly, I said, "It wouldn't be the first fae that tried to kill me."

Now I had Thorin's attention, and Gandalf was no longer smiling.

_"Dear, foolish human. Sleep, let the waters lay your weary head to rest. Return to where you belong, return to nothingness." __I could hear fae's voice from the river, her sweetly spoken words were burned into my mind._

_Haunted, I recalled, "That night when it was raining by the river and Fili fell in," Fili tense at the memory. "I heard a voice when I was dragged under the water and tentacles or something long and slippery tried to drown me."_

_Fili's face skewed upward. "I do not recall a voice or ropes."_

_"What did the voice say?" Bofur asked in a mix of soft coaxing and quiet fear._

_"That I was a fool and I should give up and die."_

_Thorin fingered the hilt of his sword. "Your foolishness is not new information."_

_Gandalf darkened and I scowled. _

_"Uncle-" Fili began disapprovingly and was cut off._

_"However, you proved to not be a coward. You did not give up." Thorin was sporting a small smile._

Bombur groaned. "Do we have fae to worry about now as well as orcs and wargs? I like to eat dinner, not be dinner." He lamented.

"Nay, my good dwarf. Not all of us. Only our companion here need worry about fae." Gandalf directed his gaze at me.

Well wasn't I just the special snowflake. "Why?" I asked before anyone else could.

"Do you still have our peace of mind?" Gandalf asked pointedly.

For a moment I had no idea what he was talking about, then I remembered. Fishing in the front of my shirt, I pulled Glorfindel's necklace over my head and dangled the pendant between my fingers for everyone to see. "The stone's changed color," I realized. The opal stone at the center of the bird had changed from white with flecks of multi-colors to mostly green with mingling blue.

Fili and Kili leaned in curiously.

Dori was affronted. "That is of elven make."

Gandalf looked pleased. "That the stone changed color means its purpose has been fulfilled."

Thorin was glancing between Gandalf and me, looking betrayed. "What purpose does this necklace serve?"

Gandalf sat down and stretched his leg by the fire. "The necklace captures a fae's power to weaken them. It only had the strength to work once and bide the user time to escape."

"Why did you not tell us Meg was being hunted?" Fili angrily inflated and put a hand on my leg.

Nori almost talked over Fili. "Why did she not say anything about fae before?"

"We are all being hunted," Gandalf pointed out and waited in silence for someone to object.

Thorin paced, glancing at his company, his eyes strayed on Kili and I. "All the more reason to leave in the morn."

There was an uproar of protest. The dwarves had only two days' rest, they couldn't be faulted for wanting more time to gather themselves after traveling so hard through rain, fighting mountains, goblins, and orcs.

"I agree," I said and was probably the only one, for once. My reasoning was selfish. The fae was dead but the lake was too close for comfort, and there was something about Beorn's house that was making the walls seem smaller than before. There were too many people living under one roof.

Thorin nodded at me and Gandalf raised his brow with his mouth hanging open as if to say something, but then closed it. He must have had the same sentiment as Thorin and I.

Fili's mouth pressed into a hard line. "How can we move so early when many still have wounds to tend to?"

Thorin looked hard between Fili and I. "We move in the morning."

"You cannot-"

Thorin cut Fili off. "Come with me. We need to speak. Oin, see to Megara's injuries."

Fili rose slowly under Thorin's gaze. He looked down at me and I nodded, straining a smile, coaxing him to go. He reluctantly followed Thorin outside.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: In case you're wondering, the fae was an Each Uisge, a more vicious cousin of the Kelpie.<strong>


End file.
